The coronavirus has hit many countries, communities, and people hard around the world. Globally unemployment rates are increasing with some estimates suggesting that approximately 25 million people worldwide will be made unemployed due to the pandemic. That figure only gets larger the longer the pandemic continues. It is a frightening statistic but one that is easily misunderstood when it is seen as just a number. One man saw the reality of this number in his community as the number of people on the street increased during the pandemic. He decided to do something about it.
One man can do very little to change the big problems in the world but he has one powerful tool to solve any issues, inspiration. A man in Chile noticed the rising numbers of homeless people in his community and decided he wanted to help. He started to deliver food to the people on the streets to help them have a warm meal for a single night. This incredible gesture likely saved or helped to save the lives of hundreds of people in his nearby community. However, for this good samaritan, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to do more.
Realizing the power of the internet and the viral media world that we live in he started to deliver the meals while dressed up as batman. Before when he delivered meals people used to ignore him. No one paid attention to the kind acts he was completing. He never wanted recognition, he wanted help. Once he put the batman suit on people started to take videos and photos of what he was doing. Soon these videos went viral and people were talking about the incredible work that he was doing. People were becoming inspired.
The batman costume was simply an idea to entertain the people on the street who were suffering. If it could bring a smile to their face then it was worthwhile. However, once he started wearing the costume and seeing the reaction that he was receiving he understood what a powerful tool it could be.
Batman famously said in one movie that “with great power comes great responsibility”. That is an incredible line and is true but the harsh truth is that all of us have a great responsibility in these testing times to help our fellow man. If you are in a financial situation today where you remain unaffected or barely affected by the coronavirus pandemic then you are lucky. You can argue that it was due to your strategic thinking or great positioning but the truth is you could have easily been in an industry that was affected. Instead of patting yourself on the back, spread your luck around and help your fellow man.
If your community is not badly affected then look further afield as there are places in the world today that are suffering badly and the pandemic is making it worst. Yemen is experiencing the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world and any help could save a life. A civil war has raged in that country since 2014 and now the pandemic has made the situation worse. The UN says that there is a high chance of famine taking place that is worse than anything seen for 100 years.
One man is inspiring the world by dressing as Batman and helping his community. It is time we all looked at how we can help others too. If you have spare time, money, council, then you can help someone. Reach out to local organizations to see what is needed in these tough times. While batman never said it, the truth is that living in the modern world comes with great responsibility, no matter what.
