- photo by Howard Jones
9,500 people missing from just one town. I am stunned…saddened…speechless. Watching images of the power of the sea and the earth makes me feel humble to say the least…but nauseated is mor apt. Really, there are no words for it…fear, panic, shock, pain…these words seem weightless in comparison to the events in Japan. Our hearts break for the Japanese people and also for ourselves–for the horrible loss of even a single human life, let alone thousands.
I was just watching the news and pondering our powerlessness…our human smallness in the face of nature and I was wondering about kindness.
Again, I am reminded that our only real power on this earth as humans is to transform our thoughts, our hearts, and our actions to be in accordance with our values– to act with love and kindness, intelligence and compassion, honesty, humility and grace. That is all we are able to do.
I am no expert, but it seems to me that we might formulate a plan of action for ourselves as to how to help Japan. I am not referring to giving money, although if we can, we must– no matter how insignificant it seems. I m not referring to prayer, although if that is something we are in the habit of doing, now might be a good time. Rather, I am asking myself, “what is the value of a life?” Tens of thousands of lives? As President Obama urged us to do in the wake of the Tucson tragedy, we can honor those who died by being the best and highest versions of ourselves. By walking on this earth with tender humility and compassion for our fellow men. By being kind in our lives today.
In this way, we honor those we’ve lost– we rise to our highest good and elevate the emotional intelligence of our species. In this way we are less inept to help the Japanese people, but we become Kindness Warriors…an army of compassion and kindness…striving, working, fighting for the advancement of peace on earth simply by elevating our hearts and minds. We are all interconnected. We are all fragile. We are all guests on this earth. And you know that saying about a butterfly flapping its wings in Asia? Well, here it is. How will this impact us here in the US? I hope by opening our humanity and kindness towards our fellow beings even if only by recognizing the astonishing frailty and tenuousness of the human condition.
I blogged this for carrykindnessforward.com today. Click to go there.