When Suffering Feels Too Vast, And What Hong Kong Teaches Us About Caring

This is a linkpost for https://www.linkedin.com/article/edit/7399702880250839040/

The devastating fire in Tai Po is a tragedy on a scale Hong Kong has never witnessed. My thoughts are with the injured, the displaced, the missing, and the families who have lost loved ones. In the face of such immense loss, I find myself reflecting deeply on two things: the scale of human suffering, and the extraordinary response of our community.

When We Confront the Limits of Human Comprehension

Every so often we are confronted with moments that force us out of our routines, moments when we look up from our screens, our meetings, and our daily worries, and witness something that is simply beyond us.

Seeing the images of burning buildings, the sky engulfed in flames, the black smoke filling the night, these are the moments that remind us of our vulnerability. They remind us that as humans, and even more broadly as beings in this world, there are events whose magnitude of suffering we cannot fully comprehend.

In these moments, we feel helpless, not because we do not care, but because the scale of tragedy seems so much larger than any one person.

And Yet, Hong Kong Responds

Alongside that helplessness, I have seen something else, the undeniable strength of Hong Kong’s collective spirit.

Almost immediately, individuals formed volunteer groups on WhatsApp and Telegram. People created spreadsheets to track affected families and missing persons. Communities organised food deliveries, temporary housing, resource distribution, and other support. NGOs, shelters, and local organisations mobilised at remarkable speed.

All of this tells me something I have always believed but am now seeing more clearly than ever, that Hong Kong people care, deeply and instinctively, about the suffering of others.

We Are Not Helpless

I want to end by applauding every volunteer, coordinator, NGO worker, community organiser, and neighbour who has shown up for others in this tragedy.

Their actions remind us that even though suffering can feel incomprehensible, we are not powerless. People can, and do, take real, concrete steps that make the world better.

A Question for You

What acts of community support, large or small, have inspired you during this tragedy, or in any crisis you have witnessed? I would love to hear your reflections in the comments.