I am left to wonder
today about one of the central questions of our humanity. The last twenty four hours have featured
tragedy, miracles, love, hate, forgiveness, loss—and more. A casual read of Facebook comments from my
friends reveal the entire list of possible human emotions and actions—successes
and failures. Within those words and
posts are as many reasons for there to be a God and a point to the whole human
experience—as there are mysteries, questions, and doubts about it all.
Like everyone else,
I have these questions from my own past. In my own case the loss of my Mother
who would have turned sixty-seven years old this week. In the last eight
months of her life she was brought through a terrible and horrifying journey,
her physical form changed nearly beyond recognition by a rare and untreatable
disease. From memories of the senseless
moments in a hospital chapel I can recall how little comfort can be found from
logic, or faith, or bargaining. From the
memories of an even more dramatic day, four years before, on my birthday—when
so many lives were erased for the sake of a senseless political ideology I can
recall the same questions as I watched a swirling and hateful column of black
smoke rise over my home.
On these, the
darkest of all days, regardless of scale, we simply want answers. Why does this have to happen? Why must this earth, why does this supposedly
loving God allow to happen to his children so much pain—so much unexplainable
heartache. What is the benefit to
allowing this to happen? For what reason
are we shown glimpses of beauty and then, in single breath—or the very next
online post—tales of complete horror and of sadness.
I can not know that
answer. I don’t believe any of us do or
ever will in this realm. But I do know
that there are lessons to be had in these events and these reminders of our
humanity. For it is in these moments
that we are shown the beauty of the human spirit—and the capacity of love. Without the darkest of days we would likely
never know the whole breadth of the human ability to share, encourage, support,
and care. From that suffering whether
local or global, is born the impetus that drives human beings to ask the
questions—to help their brother or sister—and to take a stand in the cases
where they can against the tragedies that we can prevent.
For as long as we
are likely to reside on this planet there will never be a cure for all the
things that can befall a man, woman, or child.
The doctors will always be one or two steps behind—and the truth of our
mortality (and our birth) is the one thing upon which all human beings can
agree. Perhaps that is why it serves as
the one point where we can all begin—to love, to share, to understand, to help,
and to forgive. For it is in how we
handle death and tragedy—that our strengths as humanity are revealed.
I do not know for what
reason it occurs every single day to so many people—but I do know that for any
progress to be made, for any growth to happen, we must take from these
tragedies the lesson that we are all God’s children, Allah’s Children; Buddha’s
Children—we are all one. So when these
terrible realities of our human condition affect a friend, a family member or a
community—perhaps the question of why, even though it is often first, is not
really the most important question at all.
Perhaps the most
important question is— what’s next? How will you help bring love into the darkness that can be the human experience? For that is the only part over which we have any control or any real understanding. To love is our greatest gift-- and our greatest obligation. Most of all at the times that bring only questions and few if any answers.
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