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The earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti forces us to rethink our assumptions about reality. Over the past few weeks we have heard and seen many voices offer their response of words to make sense of the event. Along side those words has been the overwhelming responses of care. This out pouring of gifts and action lift our spirits, and for many this is enough to solve the existential questions that arise in such a wide spread disaster.
A.C. Clark the science fiction writer offered a reflection on human hubris. The idea that we can control nature was shown to be false for “nature has its own ways.” Natural disasters are just that - natural, and one can explain the process of why they happen - no mystery. Yet while we can describe the event and have developed tools of technology to monitor and aid us in responding to nature, we cannot control it. This causes us we to rethink our relationship with nature. This is to understand its freedom. That is, nature is not controllable so we must live in some sort of harmony with it. This is to respect its awesome, creative, and destructive power.
Still, such events do call into question the meaning of God and life. Just as all death reminds us that we too die, the staggering numbers remind us of interdependent universe, that one death touches so many. So we respond with action and prayers. We see the pain of others and respond in ways to alleviate that pain. And the generous response we see gives us hope about us as men and women. And we see that generosity even more so when we see the apathy of some and the evil others engage in, from stealing to exploitation. We see such acts for what they are, perversity. That perversity enhances the good that others show, that compassion maybe more true of us.
