Tag: resilient

Note to readers – this blog was published last week and oddly disappeared. I am re-posting for those who tried to read it and could not find it.

It has been two weeks since Moore, Oklahoma was met by a tornado unlike any experienced in current times. Images and stories were found through every venue. The pictures drew us near as we found struggled to comprehend how people could survive such destruction. The stories continue to touch our hearts as we hear of sacrifice and determination. We are still searching for the best way to help.

So why do we feel such an immediate connection with people so far away? This one of those moments when we experience our common bond as humans. Deep within our spirits reach beyond the limitations of miles and matter. For in the end there is little difference between the person seen on TV and the person watching. The scene could change in an instant – we could be them, we are them. In times like this we are reminded that our survival is assured only through our compassion. At the core the truth remains — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

It takes courage to be a human being. I stand in awe of how resilient people can be, how they can absorb the impact of loss or grief, and then come back to find a way to carry on in spite of it all. I am honored to be part of a human family when I watch others rush to help strangers in need, giving what that they can to sustain the life of another. I believe we all have an instinct to be selfless, to protect our young, to confront disaster with dignity, to become hope for one another. It is not easy. It takes courage. It takes love. It takes us.Bp. Steven Charleston