Commentary for Term 3

We all love our families and our friends. We do what is best for them and hope to see them grow. We share our joys with them, comfort them when they are sad and assist them whenever they are in need. Transpose this up one level. That is what community work is all about.

Community work has always been advocated by the government. Youths, working adults and even the man on the street are all encouraged to do their bit for the very community they live in. No matter how tiny and insignificant the contribution may seem, it shows the individual’s desire to play his part within the community and his contribution certainly goes a long way in helping the community.

Since the beginning of time, Man has learnt to live together in communities. In the beginning, it was just a tribe. Responsibilities were relatively simple. The men would hunt and gather food from the wilderness while the women would stay at home to do the household chores and look after the children. Slowly, more complex communities evolved. There was a social hierarchy, consisting of the dominant monarch, the nobles and aristocrats, the scholars and officials, and the lowly commoners and peasants. Gradually, as people became more advanced, cities saw a government. The people were divided into the upper class, the middle class and the lower class.

However, even though the structure of these communities changed over time, there was one thing they had in common. It was the purpose of the community. Communities constantly sought progress and advancement. In order to do this, everyone had to play their part in the community. They had to contribute.

What would happen if today, there were no longer charitable organizations to care for the needy, no more homes for the aged, and no more orphanages for abandoned children? I cannot bear to imagine.

I am not supporting altruism. Rather, I am advocating public-spiritedness. It does not take a lot for you to do your part in the community. Borrowing a quote from the movie “Evan Almighty”, God tells Evan Baxter to change the world by doing “one act of random kindness at a time”. Likewise, you can do the same too. A simple gesture like holding the door for somebody else or offering assistance to the elderly is sufficient. Slowly, each small act of kindness cultivates a sense of selflessness in you and eventually, community work will come naturally.

When we engage in community work, we bring joy to others. The elderly, the disabled, the orphaned, the needy are all just examples of groups of people we can offer our services to. From the article itself, we see how a simple gesture of acceptance “awoke something in the drifting, restless teenager”. Imagine how much impact community work can make.

Just like a jigsaw puzzle, each individual in a community is crucial for it to function properly. One missing piece would render the puzzle incomplete. Let’s not be that missing piece.