Saturday. Sofa. Coffee.
I am watching the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake on the news channels this morning. The coverage in Haiti was interrupted for a few moments for a formal announcement from the White House. President Obama requested former Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush to be co-heads of the Haiti fund, an offer they both accepted. As they appeared together outside the White House, President Obama spoke of both former Presidents' efforts to relieve suffering of the sick and impoverished in the world. Clinton and Bush made gracious remarks about President Obama and each other.
It is not necessary to be a serious student of history to remember the harsh words and feelings that from time to time have existed between and among these three in different permutations. It has not always been pretty.
But there they were this morning. There was humility, graciousness, a sense of grief, and an air of determination to get this done as well as possible, considering the reality of the disaster.
Disasters unify.
I do not believe that the path to the unity of humanity is to hope for a continuing series of serious disasters.
So what is it about major disasters that bring out the best in the rest of us? Is it possible that we could experience unity without disaster?
Or as I asked in the last post, why did it take an earthquake to get me to see the plight of Haiti?
With apologies to Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, and revival preachers everywhere, I believe humans are basically good. We have just been conditioned to think that good is not smart. Giving away what you have worked for, storing up no more than you truly need, seeking to serve instead of be served, choosing to be last instead of first, loving enemies, not insisting on being right. Not smart if you expect to be successful in this world. Smart people are successful people.
We want to be successful. And we want to be smart. Smart is a good thing, right?
It is supposed to be. But what is smart? What is good? What is success?
And what's that got to do with Haiti and disaster and unity?
You tell me what you think. Click on "post a comment" below. Type your thoughts in the screen that opens, press anonymous if you don't have one of the other id's, sign your name to your statement or not, and click publish.
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Here are my thoughts. First, there are a lot of areas in the world that are suffering and have as many problems as Haiti had before this earthquake, but when a disaster happens, due to the intense media coverage, it focuses attention to that particular area. Before this earthquake, even though things were bad, the Haitian people could at least help themselves where now they can't even drive down the road.
ReplyDeleteSmart people have sense enough to know that disasters can happen to anyone, including themselves. It's the goodness in people that makes one want to help those less fortunate. As for being successful, maybe the definition is someone who has the means to give and does so.
BTW, Mainers drink even more coffe than you!
sw