About a week before first coming to Costa Rica I received an email from a friend concerned that Matt and I had already left and were caught in the midst of rain landslides in San Jose. 17 had been reported dead at that point. My friend was relieved to know we were safe, and I was worried that the landslides would still be an issue when we arrived. I prayed for the families affected, but I never cried.
I had a friend once who found their only younger brother shot to death in the street. I wrote a poem shortly after the tragedy and the last line went a little like, "...I wish this was on some other news station, in some other town, in some other family so I wouldn't have to care..."
My point is, I have, and maybe others too have, this internal war where I wish I could sincerely care about lives lost and endangered in other places around the world, but my humanity kicks in and unless my own life is at stake, or it affects my inner ring, my sympathy is just a feeling I conjure up and it passes almost instantly. I can't even bring myself to text $10 to the cause in Japan because I don't like putting my credit card information out in the open.
Libya, Egypt, Japan, Haiti... are distant concerns to me compared to the newscaster who just said Latin America is in the danger zone for aftermath earthquakes and Tsunamis. Everything in me screams for the safety and preservation of myself, my safety, my comfort, my peace of mind.
My own heart proves my ugliness, no matter how I mask it with scattered compassion. This must be why "No greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend" because that is an act with God written all over it. You can't do it without true love.
With as much as I possibly can, safe, miles away with no hint of real understanding about an earthquake or Tsunami, I ask that God would save lives and souls through the tragedy in Japan.
Excellent thoughts and unfortunately very true. I actually was thinking the same thing tonight. I just received an e-mail from a staff couple who worked with us at the U.of MN. You might remember them, Glenn & Bridget Kenadjian. Bridget has cancer and is given 4 months to live. Their son Brian is the same age as Briana. They use to play together. Life is no fair. Death & tragedy are part of the fallenness of man. I'm so glad this is not all that we have to look forward to. Death is truly what gives significance to life!
ReplyDeleteOh my, I remember them very well and Brian. We have a picture playing in the leaves with Brian at a fall conference...Thank you for sharing. I will keep them in prayer.
ReplyDeleteThis world is just not worthy of some people as Hebrews says. I can only hope I will clean their mansion one day.