A little girl lies dead on the ground, her thin body stretched out in the dirt. I see her on the 6o'clock news, and wonder what her name was, and what she was thinking right before it happened, and was she scared, and did it hurt? Her father is hunched over her, too stunned to cry. Grieving not just for his little girl, but for 160 000 souls and more. He wipes the dirt from her face. I cry.
At times like these, words fail me. I wish I could be eloquent and significant, but all I can do in an attempt to join the millions of mourning voices is offer this, a moment of silence in honour of the recent tsunami victims, and for all those who are dying needless deaths around the world each day.
9 comments:
And millions of us here in Asia join you in your mourning. It was a very nice Sunday here where we had picnickers blissfully enjoying their year end break until the killer waves came....
KaiserSoze
It's so hard to understand the meaning of it all, and that's what makes it most difficult for people to cope.
At the same time, I wonder what is going on in that part of the world. Apparently while the tourists there are fleeing, trying to get home to their loved ones when their passports have all floated away, other tourists are still arriving because they've paid for their vacation and they want to see the carnage...that really upsets me.
And they're saying it could be weeks before they clear the roads and get to the smaller villages, which means that many more deaths will occur, and it seems so senseless.
Jason was talking to a cheery woman in India yesterday, she was inquiring about his "Christian winter festival" (Christmas), and he asked her how things were on her end...the news about the tsunami was a complete surprise to her, she hadn't heard of it. I don't know if this was just one woman who was ignorant of the news, or if there are pockets of places without communication right now. It was very strange. It worries me to think that if we can't get news to the people, then how will we get food and clean water to the people who need it most?
Life really is like a beach. Inconsistant and ever-changing; most-often beautiful, but sometimes deadly.
And it separates two distinct worlds; one familiar, while one presents us with a mystery we struggle to understand.
God called home many of His children the day after Christmas.
in response to the above comment:
the lord giveth and the lord taketh away, but lately the taketh awaying seems disporportionate to the givething... from southpark
pointless pointless pointless taketh awaying
it really is a tragedy. life is so fragile.
Why were the people so close to the beach? Didn't they know that tsunamis are dangerous?
Why were they so close to the beach?
Well, the tourists were there because it was warm and that's what there were there to enjoy.
The locals were there because that's where they live, and there aren't any mountains next to the beaches in any of those countries.
Also, the total lack of warning might have had something to do with it. Nobody called anybody to say "Yo dudes, 500 km/h tidal wave coming your way - RUN!".
Bear witness to the result.
I think in the future they should have some PFDs (personal floatation devices) available. Also, the Red Cross provides swimming lessons here in North America, perhaps they should offer these in the affected areas. All I know is the best thing we can do is donate blankets, used clothes, food and water. They don't want money cause it often gets lost in the 'system'.
Also, we shouldn't forget the whole muslim 'wildcard' in this equation...
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