A Real Time for Everything

Today my heart is with Japan and the families that are survived by children or many no one. Today I want to let myself feel the poison of natural disasters, while still glimpsing a hope for our world's future. We can only talk and send so much money before we let ourselves feel disappointed that any number of people had to die. (jack johnson says...)

A billion people died on the news tonight
But not so many cried at the terrible sight
Well mama said
It's just make believe
You can't believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight

Who's the one to decide that it would be alright
To put the music behind the news tonight
Well mama said
You can't believe everything you hear
The diagetic world is so unclear
So baby close your ears
On the news tonight
On the news tonight

The unobtrusive tones on the news tonight
And mama said

Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who die?
At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes
Mama said
It's just make believe
You cant believe everything you see
So baby close your eyes to the lullabies
On the news tonight

Japan is a strong beautiful country, history will show you nothing less. But we just saw even strongest land can be moved 8 feet from its axis!
I am thankful that my family in Hawaii and California were safe. But for the moment when we didn't know...I felt in one accord with the Japanese, Hawaiians, Chileans, and the rest. This re-sparked a familiar feeling I felt while in India, when we would get word that some Christians were bombed just one state away. I am not sure if I can even articulate the exact feelings. All I know is I find myself filled with grace for all of humanity and I just wish we could all hug.

The pictures, stories, and news from these past couple days has brought me to say "Inshallah" in God's time, if God wills it. I trust that we are here for this time for some purpose beyond myself and my limited understandings. I trust that God will renew Japan and its people to a place of rest. Above all I trust that God's will is better than mine. I don't know why I am apart from my best friends. I don't know why my friend pasted away before me. I don't know why diseases spread the way they do. But there has been too much good, too much faithfulness, too much provision, too much grace for me to question if God is God.

I hope these thoughts find you in a place for contemplative joy, collective sadness, and a deep unexplainable hope.

Until next week, smile.