Where to start

I had before stated, more than once I am sure, that I would be writing and posting more, no matter what the topic or point (if there is one) was. So far, I have failed to do this.

I blame, find excuses for this in everything: the lack of orange juice, rain, depression, mania, the current location of the moon, the shriek of an owl, stubbed toe, noise, cold, hot, wet dry, et al – but I do not blame it on being lazy.

Tired is not lazy. Lazy is not doing when you have the energy to do.  I have been tired. I am tired. I am also behaving lazily when it comes to writing. So, here goes – something about last week.

Of course, the news has been, is and will continue to be for some time, Haiti. I can offer nothing you have not heard or seen about the situation. I can tell you, that unless you have some medical training and some bucks to support yourself, no one wants you to go there. I tried. For two days I was on the phone and computer looking for some group, organization or other that would take me or meet me there. I do not have enough of what is needed at this time to be useful. Maybe in a month or two when work is needed, not help of the life-saving variety.

The thing that has struck me, stuck in my mind the most about this; has been the rapid response in the form of cash and aid for “The poorest nation in the western hemisphere”. Millions of dollars have come from industry, private citizens and celebrities. Not just from governments (also funded by the citizens but that’s another thing altogether) but from “people”

Individuals that can give a million dollars. Businesses that can give a million dollars, donate the use a plane,  a ship, a helicopter. None of those being cheap to buy or operate.

So – my question is, why does it take an earth-shattering event to get people to treat other people with respect, dignity and favour? Why is there a “poorest nation” in the western hemisphere? Wasn’t that a disaster in and of itself?

There is a ship off the coast, the Carl Vinson, that can produce fresh water from salt water – something in the area of 400, 000 gallons a day.

There was not enough clean, safe drinking water in Haiti before the earthquake.

There are ships and planes with thousands of tons of foodstuffs either in Haiti or on the way. Food for hungry people. Starving people.

Many of whom were hungry and near starvation before the earthquake.

There are mobile hospitals and state of the art hospital ships in or on the way to Haiti. To add to the huge missional and volunteer groups already there providing medical care to the people because they lacked it anyway.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not me being mad or upset about Haiti receiving aid in the wake of this calamity. It breaks my heart to not be doing more myself to help.

My heart breaks too because it took the lives of so many people, already in such poverty, so challenged to get through each day on good days.  It took devastation like this to get the people of the world to step up and help.

Now – multiply pre-quake Haiti by the number of other countries, nations and regions that are in the same condition. Forget the semantics and names and think just about the number of people living on the edge of dying on perfectly beautiful days in amazing and wonderful places.

Why do we need disaster and war to make those people worthy of our attention, our help, our money?

If even one person dies uneducated and malnourished, from a preventable water born disease, isn’t that a disaster too? Is it not a tragedy to know that everything to avoid this happening is available but, withheld?

Why are there not great big hospital ships off the coast of every country? Making clean water and helping the sick and injured? Because it costs money. The money was there for all these countries to put into their militaries and weapons – to be able to kill people, not save them.

I know – corruption, greed, xenophobia, religious hatred (funny concept), some logistics and of course, money.

Rick Warren made $2.4 mil in a month from one letter. Haitian relief is in the tens of millions from private donations already with a telethon planned in just a few days. Politicians in Massachusetts have spent millions in the past month to settle or shake things up.

There is money. It is all over the place. Just waiting for a disaster to put it to use. There are people willing to help. They are all over and trained, just waiting for a disaster to respond too.

What I think we need now, more than money and willing people, is to change what we see as a disaster, cataclysm or even an event. What we need is to look at any sick, hungry, lonely, scared human being as a catastrophic failure on the part of every other human being. We need to change our intense motivation to isolate and control. We need to take desire and ability to kill to achieve that isolation and control and use it to invite, support and sustain.

We are a tiny planet and a tiny people on its surface. We should act like it. Not just when things are terrible but when they are wonderful too. It is possible for it to be wonderful everywhere, all at once. It is at least worth the effort.

Peace

A V