In the early hours of the morning northern Japan was hit with a 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Hundreds are dead, and hundreds more are missing and injured. Fires are raging out of control and a fire at one nuclear power plant has forced the evacuation of over 2,000 residents. Hawaii, U.S. and Canadian eastern coast are now under a tsunami warning. The coastal city of Sendai has also been submerged, yielding most of the death toll.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/11/japan.quake/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
A Liveblog of the events:
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/11/live-blog-japan-earthquake/
No matter how many times I watch another world disaster unfold it's no less horrifying. Here in Canada I sit in my home watching whats happening. I don't know what it is like to have the ground suddenly shift and everything around you suddenly falling and shaking; and I don't know what it's like to face a natural disaster of that magnitude.
But there is one thing I do know. It is times like this, when things are literally falling apart, that humanity pulls itself together. You will see the greatest heroes emerge out of the largest trials, and the greatest acts of kindness can come from the moments of great sorrow and fear. It is times like this, that we pull together to help each other.
So may we pray for the people of Japan and the Pacific Isles, and may we send them whatever kindness we can.
Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003
Doctors Without Borders:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
xoxo
That was beautifully said. It feels wrong almost, to find joy in moments of such intense grief. To feel that heart swelling that comes from seeing that we have it in us to be compassionate, and great, and good. But that's the nature of humanity, and ultimately of this mortal life. We are walking dichotomies, and we get to choose which parts of ourselves to embrace, and which to replace.
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