The question of what it means to be in solidarity with others is a deeply personal one. It speaks to our values and the extent to which we are prepared to hold ourselves to them. It is not a moral-police-standing-over-your-shoulder issue. It is about who and how we (truly) are when nobody is watching. This blog post is a personal account. I am sharing it in the hope that it may resonate with others. My aim is to encourage us all to stop and think about how our otherwise ordinary home activities may impact others during ‘social distancing’ that has been made necessary by the coronavirus (Covid-19).

Social responsibility? Who would have thought!

The outbreak and spread of Covid-19 thrust the phrase “social responsibility” into headlines and the minds and lips of people all over the world. Strange as this may sound, before the crisis most of us have barely had cause to pause and think about how our actions (can) impact the well-being of others. Now we are all having to think carefully about what we can or cannot do during social distancing. But, should we, just as intentionally, stop and ask ourselves; what can we do without, even if it falls under the ‘can-do category’?

A personal reflection…

Recently, I found myself reflecting on an otherwise ordinary home experience. The weather in England glorious as it has been in the recent past (much to our relief), we thought about having a ‘cheeky barbie’ (barbecue). Why not, right? After all, we are ‘stuck at home’ and life must go on? The only consideration at this point; do we have meat in the fridge? – check! Do we have wood in the garage? – check! How about onions and tomatoes to chuck on the grill? – again check! All seemed straightforward, from a ‘practical perspective’. Or was it?

An unexpected ‘lightbulb moment’ from an act of collective solidarity…

A recent appeal for UK residents to stand on their doorsteps and clap in solidarity with Health workers who “run towards the fire” to care for people infected by Covid-19, while the rest of us are in the relative safety of our homes, presented an unexpected ‘lightbulb moment’ for me. I started to doubt the wisdom of having a barbecue during such a time of great danger and uncertainty for many. The question of what does being in solidarity with others look like became more important than considerations of how much meat or veggies or wood there was. What if there are people in our neighbourhood who are in ‘self-isolation’ and cannot choose to light a barbecue because a simple act of stepping outdoors risks their lives? What if there are people who have recently lost loved ones to Covid-19, as many have across the world? What message will the smoke bellowing from our back-garden send to such people during such a time?

Do not beat yourself up about “it”, but stop to THINK it through…

There is no ready-made playbook for social responsibility or solidarity. None of us have the moral high ground or all the answers. We are all figuring it out as we go. It is okay to not have all the answers. The key is to do our best by stopping to think about the potential impact of our activities on others, particularly those who’s options are limited by the risk Covid-19 pauses to their well-being and lives. If there is a benefit at all from this difficult period, I hope it is that our heightened self-awareness can lead us to be more introspective and reflective. Not out of fear but out of being intentional about inclusion and neighbourliness.

Together we can ‘beat the virus’ through thinking of others, as we think of ourselves!

My hope is that this personal account and reflective post can go some way to remind us of our collective strength as the human family. This is not the first crisis we have faced, and as bewildering as the thought may be, it will not be the last. Like all crises that have befallen the human family, Covid-19 is causing us to ponder what is (truly) important and valuable to us. No group of people has demonstrated the spirit of humaneness like front-line workers such as Health and Social Care workers, police, army, truck drivers and many others. Perhaps, their example shows that, in the end, Covid-19, like any other woes faced by the human family in the past, can only be (truly) beaten through love and care for one another?

So, how do we stand in solidarity with others in time of danger and uncertainty?

As we attempt to get to grips with what we can or cannot do to help stop the spread of Covid-19, it is all-too-easy to overlook the question; what can we do without? As I have, hopefully, illustrated through this personal account, the question of what being in solidarity with others looks like requires us to stop and think about the (potential) impact of our otherwise ordinary activities on the well-being and lives of others. Being mindful about the ripple effects of our actions may be all that most of us (can) do. But, in the end, it may be all that our he/she-roes in the front-line require us to do to make their task a little more bearable and the slippery slope less slippery for the human family.