Lei Feng's spirit forever in our hearts: the inheritance of civilization and moral practice in a new era

Every March, as the spring breeze sweeps across the land, a name always resonates in people's hearts—Lei Feng. This 22-year-old communist soldier, with his short life, interpreted the profound meaning of "serving the people," and his spirit transcends time and space, becoming an important benchmark for moral construction in the Chinese nation. In the context of the new era, Lei Feng's spirit is not only a guide for personal morality but also a driving force for social and cultural progress.

I. The Historical Inheritance and Core Meaning of Lei Feng's Spirit

The essence of Lei Feng's spirit lies in "loving the people and selfless dedication." As Lei Feng said, "A person's life is limited, but serving the people is limitless." This spirit has been continuously given new meaning throughout history. From Chairman Mao's call to "Learn from Comrade Lei Feng" to the integration of Lei Feng's spirit into moral education courses by Luohu Primary School after the reform and opening up, extracting the characteristics of "loving socialism, diligence, and bravery," Lei Feng's spirit has always resonated with the times. It is not only superficial behavior of helping others but also a sense of responsibility to the collective and the country. For example, Luohu Primary School uses "one-on-one" mutual assistance activities to allow students to experience the "nail spirit" in practice, transforming moral education into concrete actions.

II. The Practice of "Living Lei Feng" in Real Life

In contemporary society, Lei Feng's spirit has been integrated into the details of daily life. Some people bend down to pick up litter on the roadside, reflecting on "if everyone throws a little, the environment will become unbearable"; some people take the initiative to help up elderly people who have fallen, even though they may face misunderstanding, they still choose kindness; and there are elementary school students who give up their seats to elderly women, conveying warmth with their tender voices. These scenes confirm the continuation of Lei Feng's spirit: it does not require earth-shattering feats, but rather care shown in the details. As one student wrote in an essay: "The litter on the ground pricks our conscience, but every piece of paper we pick up is a repair of morality."

III. Challenges and Breakthroughs in Practicing Lei Feng's Spirit in the New Era

However, the period of social transformation has also exposed the difficulties in moral practice. Incidents such as the "Nantong version of the Peng Yu case" have led some people to choose indifference due to concerns about being extorted. In response, society urgently needs dual safeguards of systems and culture: on the one hand, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of rescuers through legislation and establishing a "rescuer assistance fund"; on the other hand, strengthening moral education and reshaping the social consensus of "helping others is glorious." The reason why the movie "The Days We Left Lei Feng" resonates is that it reveals the preciousness of upholding kindness in complex realities.

IV. From Individual to Group: Building an Ecosystem of "Lei Feng Spirit"

Practicing Lei Feng's spirit requires moving from "cultivating oneself" to "saving the world." At the individual level, we should be like Lei Feng, "being an ever-rustless screw," diligently performing our duties at our posts; at the social level, we need to create an atmosphere of "everyone can do it, everywhere can do it." For example, the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, by promoting "five loves education," combines Lei Feng's spirit with the city's spirit, inspiring citizens' enthusiasm for participating in public welfare. In addition, in the Internet age, new media can be used to spread good deeds, making "casual public welfare" a trend.

Sixty years of wind and rain, Lei Feng's spirit has never faded. It is like a bright lamp, illuminating the path of moral progress. When we see children voluntarily giving up their seats, volunteers cleaning the streets, and strangers lending a helping hand, we understand: Lei Feng has never left; he lives in every ordinary person with a kind heart. Let us respond to the call of the times with action and let Lei Feng's spirit shine even brighter in the new era!