Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
Living in Madeira, and being displaced from my home for two days and one night I went through a unique experience of confusion and fear. But during these days I learned a lot. I could see with my eyes and I could read in the media that life is not just about «me». Life is mainly about people helping people.
I was planning to write something about this theme when this morning I opened one of the local newspapers and found a short article that I decided to translate and share with you:
« Members of the INEM [that means National Institute of Medical Emergency] carried on their shoulders a gas cylinder; a woman officer of the Republican National Guard took care of a little lost dog; a Police officer helped people to leave their homes; a young volunteer girl of the Red Cross, at dawn, took a baby for his first medical check up; Firemen who saved houses that belonged to people they didn’t know and at the same time lost the houses of their own relatives; and even a group of anonymous people who showed up and gave whatever they had. Hugs and words of encouragement. Have courage… they told each other.
This is how these days of hell in Funchal have been. The spirit of helping each other has arrived everywhere. Even the prison guards and the forest guards. Even the newsmen and newswomen. When facing the fire, everyone helped each other. We don’t know their names, we don’t know who they are, but we know that they are in danger. And that is all that is needed to offer help.
Even knowing that not everybody has technical skills and that many took serious risks facing the danger… Even some situations of intolerance and nervous irritability… ended in sincere apologies. Solidarity still exists. And it is alive. » –
From the article that appeared in Diário de Notícias, Funchal, 11 th August 2016.
Life is about People Helping People. Tragedies teach us how to live!
Love and Peace,
Fr. Bernardino Andrade
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