The cyclone that hit Burma has drawn our attention to this country every time we read the newspaper. Until yesterday, Burma was the one in the headline. It seems that everyone almost forget that three south central states was also suffered from the storm though the lost is “nothing” compared with the one in the Myanmar. But today (this dawn in my room), we heard about the earthquake that struck China and left us with the numbers of thousands of casualty.
The natural disaster always put my adrenalin in rush. It was my favorite subject during my study in the undergraduate and graduate course, particularly the landslide. I still blind about the mechanism though I have done two final report for it. And generally, all kind of natural disaster is really an important issue for me. It always reminds me of the limit of human beings. Though we have sent people to the moon, we have success with the cloning, we claim we have found the treatment for cancer, we have conquered the world, etc., we still cannot control the force of nature.
Once I said to my prof. that though with all the knowledge an expert in natural disaster has, he still cannot control the power. He only can predict when and where and the impact of the event, but he won’t be able to calm the nature, at least until nowadays. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I don’t think we will reach the day we can stop the force of nature. The one we can do is to avoid inducing the triggering factor and study well the conditioning factor (they are the term we use for the natural disaster to distinguish the external and internal factors. But I think everyone understand well what is the triggering and what is the conditioning factor mean).
The natural disaster is a “good” sign too to to wake us up from our long comfort. We need to lift up our eyes and see the reality in the society. What we and the society can share together. Until today, the aid for Burma can only reach third part of the people who need it. As the time passing by, the risk is increasing since the disease, the starving etc. will raise the casualty. The government need to move faster, allowing more aid to enter the country and reach the people. They must be aware that someone really want to help them. I just wish that nothing worse will happen. I think they have enough.
And back to China, the attention is now at the middle school that was flattened by the earthquake. Many students have died, and many still buried alive among the debris. The government have moved quickly to calm down the people and do the rescuing mission for the people. Help is offered and condolence has been received. They will recover though it won’t be easy.
It’s time to wake up. Take time to rest but keep alert. You can’t hold the world in your hand to help them or to control them. You must realize that is not the point. But you can hold it in your heart, believe in Christ that He is there with them and with you, though not always you got the answers for your questions. Because it’s time to do our part. He has done His.
