On Disaster

There is nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. -Shakespeare


Late August 2017, Harvey has finally resigned, Maria is on her way, and Irma was in full angry force. Residents of Florida anticipate the impending disaster. In the slow-motion blink of an eye, Hurricane Irma devoured 134 fatalities during her 65 billion-dollar tantrum. Images of damaged homes, slaughtered sights where homes used to be, and hundreds of people, suddenly thrust into survival mode, these images took over the big and small screens of Americans for two months. 180 mph winds will blow more than your mind. What we cannot count are the tears, the favorite blankets lost, the words spoken at funerals, the hugs, the prayers, the hands that helped.

Surely, disaster invokes a reaction. Shock, horror, flee, fight, sadness, anger, devastation. Moments of speechlessness and anger because there is nobody to be angry at. No one to punish. However, disaster also invokes action. Neighbors and nearby acquaintances now share a commonality. They are one in heart because of loss. They help each other, they clean up, they hug and mourn for the dead, and for the lost. Residents near and far flood in as well, hoping to help make a dent in the clean-up.
Here in Utah, we cannot feel the pelting rain, the flooded streets. But we see something like that, try to imagine what it would be like, and sympathize. Maybe we empathize, if we have lost someone we love. We pray, we donate, and we send messages of support, love, attempt at understanding. Thanks to the internet, we can instantaneously have updated information. Donation sites are all over our social media feeds, email inboxes, and televisions. The Red Cross raised enough money to feed well over a million meals to victims and send 52,000 health care workers to care for the Floridians. These efforts do not completely meet all the needs, and they don't take away the pain of a hurricane.

However, in a hurricane, we are not freshman and seniors. We are not atheists and Christians. We are not angry liberals or egotistical conservatives, we are humans. The innate culture of the human is to love. We love one another, motivate one another, and have the power to heal one another. Ethos, pathos and logos, are fired up in our souls in disaster. We feel obligated to help, especially if we are not the ones hurting. We feel that sympathy and empathy, pain for the pain someone else holds. And in our minds, it makes sense that we should help. If one house falls, seldom do all the members of other, standing houses stay in, lock their doors, and watch curiously as their neighbor rebuilds the wreckage. We run, we hug, we post, we pray, we pay, we work, we apologize, we try, we love.

Natural disaster is not the only moment in which our culture of unconditional love is activated. We come together in artificial disasters, too! Moments of silence for those lost in horrible acts of violence, and loud protests when injustice is evident. The "news" is not so new anymore, daily we are confronted with the sadness, horror, and anger of those trying to destroy love. Disaster is not always widespread or news-worthy either. Sometimes the world disaster is the small disaster going on in someone's world.
To the sixteen-year-old who just broke up with her first love, life is a disaster. To the clinically depressed college student whom it pains to start another day, life is a disaster. To the single mom coming up short, to the widower missing his companion, to the comedian trying to make it, to the couple buried in debt. Each human has their moments of disaster in which time is frozen and the future seems dark. Comparison will kill validity, but truly, we each deserve love when disaster bursts into our hearts. As these humans, we will never all agree, but again, we can love.

Love is a word, which speaks a life-sustaining language. These kinds of words are used to communicate meaning, suffering, love, or goals. This language continues in conversation in order to eventually improve one's quality of life and capacity for understanding. Life-sustaining language, loving words which give hope for a sunrise in a fitful, dark night. Hope is a most difficult choice, but the ability to hold onto hope is stronger when surrounded by hopeful, loving friends. A hope, a prayer, love: these are very small beams of light which can only be turned on with sincerity. One beam may be small and dismissible, but when rallies of hearts full of hope, numerous prayers, and outpouring of love arrive, an enormous spotlight is available to warm the wounded and light the way for perseverance.

Love is a touch, a hug, or hand held, to transmit comfort from the depth of the soul, through the heart, blood, and sensory receptors to the sensitive skin of the victim. Humans need touch like they need water, but we do not know that, because touch isn't sent with toothbrushes and soap in care packages. A welcome and well-intended physical touch alleviates the emotional pain for a small moment, a small step toward recovery. It is the universal language which strengthens the friendship for the moment and sometimes forever.

Love is a hot meal. Love is using your hands or hard-earned money to provide enjoyable, comforting food for your friend who lost her soccer game or lost her house. Good food shared with friend is bonding and uplifting. The use of this and any talent to love one another is our great responsibility as a human family. The thing you are good at is not an accident, it is stewardship. These gifts are those which are to be lovingly and freely given to each other. We need the songs others can sing, the cake others can bake, and the strong arms others can provide.

Love is not pride. Love is removing our biases, our preconceived notions, our assumptions, our lies, our walls, our obsessions, our idleness, our worries, our lipstick, our comfort, whatever is necessary to provide help. Love is the desire to give, not the desire to receive a reward for giving. Love is recognizing that you and he both came out of the womb wailing and helpless. Love is remembering to lend your heart when the wailing and helplessness resurfaces.


Perhaps love is all we can hold in the eye of a storm. No hurricane can drown it, no gun can obliterate it, no disease can infect it. Only we, the humans, the souls, can destroy it. It is the power within us that initiates and harbors love, and from there it is inevitably felt. Love can be freely given, freely received. Our human culture is bonded by porous hearts. Love is activated and spread by these difficult and tearful times. Thanks be to God for difficult days.