Letters | What to be thankful for at the close of 2024

Readers call for prayers for the less fortunate, and discuss the trouble with Donald Trump’s ‘hell to pay’ threat

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Travellers pack into the departure hall of Hong Kong International Airport on December 22. Photo: Elson Li

Published: 11:30am, 31 Dec 2024

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It’s that time of the year again when people take a break, count their blessings, reconnect with family, go on overseas trips, make new memories, strengthen bonds, pop open that vintage bottle of wine and look forward to the new year.

Having said that, there are too many things going wrong in the world. Two wars continue with a large number of casualties, including among women and children, along with unfathomable loss and damage to property.

In 2024, besides natural disasters, there have been quite a few passenger aircraft accidents with loss of life, and even a single incident is one too many. The United States itself experienced at least 24 weather or climate disaster events with losses exceeding US$1 billion.

How can humankind be so blind to the atrocities, inequalities and unfairness that prevail in today’s world? What is there for us to look forward to?

Hope hangs by a thread, woven from faith and a belief in human perseverance, along with prayers that often seem to go unanswered.

As I wish everyone well for the new year, I hope each one of us will say a prayer for the millions with no hope, solace or respite from the tyranny of fate, those who have been banished to a place where there is no seeming prospect of redemption.