My friend K. shared with me a video that seems to be making the rounds of the internet. It's the Free Hugs Campaign -- the real-life story of a man under the pseudonym Juan Mann (say it out loud...it took me a minute to get it...) who stands in a public space (it happens to be a mall in Sydney, Australia) with a giant placard offering FREE HUGS. The video is moving--more so than I anticipated. I'm not sure if it was the images or the accompanying lyrics that affected me the most. Undoubtedly, it was the combination of both that struck a chord. You may watch the video on YouTube by following the hyperlink above--I highly recommend it!
On the commute home from work today I reflected on the video and tried to analyze my reaction to it. I suppose I initially thought it was going to be some sappy piece. A warm fuzzy story that has a sugar coated message. Free hugs--how nice. I considered what my own reaction might be to encountering a stranger holding a FREE HUGS banner in the middle of Easton Town Center. I would probably think he was loony. Or perhaps I would even be offended that he didn't recognize appropriate social boundaries. It's okay for my friends and loved ones to hug me. But a stranger....someone I know nothing about? Then, I considered the offer of the hug itself. I want to know, what is the catch? Surely the offer can't be genuine....what does this person really want? Where is the ulterior motive?
And then I thought....what if it were me? What if I were to stand in the middle of a pedestrian thoroughfare holding a similar sign offering FREE HUGS. I try to be a kind person. Indeed, offering the human touch to others is one of the most grace-filled acts of love. Could I bear to hold the sign? Wear my heart on my sleeve so boldly that I risk ridicule by a society that has been forced to learn to mistrust the stranger? And would I be willing to offer such grace to ANYone who stepped up willing to receive it? It brings to mind K's thought-provoking question the other day: Is there really such at thing as true altruism? A truly selfless act???
Here's a link to a news article posted this week that I located in verifying the authenticity of the Free Hugs video: Free Hugs Priceless in a Culture of Violence. It offers some interesting details about the story behind the video if you are interested in reading more about it.
April 15, 2024 (Vol.32, No.8) – Happenings
1 week ago
4 comments:
Thank you so much for the Free Hug! What an awesome occupation!!! I will meet you at Capital Square downtown and we will do our own Free Hug Campaign. I'M READY!!!!!
Wow, such EXUBERANCE--it's nothing short of contagious!! For a minute all my fears whisk themselves away and I am amazed at how free and courageous I feel.
"I'M READY!!!!!" If we all had such cheerleaders willing to jump on our bandwagons the moment we are called to action....we would probably see a lot more positive change in the world.
Wow! I loved the Free Hugs video! Thank you for sharing!
A truly selfless act? You know, I just had a thought. Maybe there is no such thing as a truly selfless act. Remember in the movie "A Beautiful Mind" where Russell Crow plays the brilliant scholar John Nash who develops Schizophrenia? There is that scene where the group of women walk into the bar and the beautiful blonde stands out from all the rest. Nash realizes that if all of the men ask the blonde woman out than they will all lose out and go home dateless. He disproves years of economic theory in his realization that doing what is best for the individual is doing what is best for the group. If they skip the blonde and all ask out one of her friends than they all get a date and go home satisfied. Certainly there are more altruistic things in the world than asking out a "not as beautiful girl", but Nash's economic theory reminds me a little bit of Jesus proclamation that "The First Shall be Last and the Last shall be first" or that "those who seek to gain their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for My sake will gain it." So maybe we can't commit a truly selfless act without gaining something for the self. But I think maybe the opposite is true as well that I don't think we can commit a truly selfish act without losing a bit of the self.
Cindy, I like your spin-off comment about the selfless vs. selfish act. So true about losing a piece of oneself--such irony!
And I enjoyed your imagery of asking out a not-as-beatiful girl as an altruistic example--hee-hee!! Oh the places we could go with that one, but I will refrain!! ;o)
Post a Comment