Southeastern Texas is suffering. Hurricane Harvey is causing unprecedented and catastrophic flooding. More than 50 inches of rain are expected to fall as Harvey slowly moves through the area. Within the storm are extreme winds and isolated tornadoes. Estimates expect the damage total to exceed $10 billion. The rivers are rising. Lives will be lost. Even those of us not living in the danger zone are monitoring the effects of this massive storm. We don’t really know what the long term effects will be. We just know that it’s bad. Very bad. A storm like Harvey reminds us of how vulnerable we are; how powerless we are over the forces of nature. A simple shift in the wind can mean the difference between life and death.
We live in a universe of duality and contrast. There is darkness and light; left and right. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Extremely bad conditions can create extremely good reactions. In fact, they often do just that. Disasters bring out the best in us. Boundaries of race, religion, economic status…blue tribe or red tribe do not matter. These arbitrary divisions really don’t matter at all. All that matters is humanity. We witness the selflessness of those who put their own lives in danger in order to help others. People actively and willingly look out for others. We rise to the occasion. A life is a life is a life. All lives matter.
When disaster strikes, community becomes stronger. We recognize that we are not in this alone. We are neighbors. We can do more together. We need each other. We care about each other. A community is really no more than a big family. Sometimes we forget that. It’s easy to do. We forget about being kind to each other. We don’t remember how much we depend on each other. Disaster gives us an opportunity to remember what we value.
As individuals, we are no more than a tiny speck of matter. Together we are the whole of humanity. Perhaps Harvey is here to remind us that we need to work together to get things done; to remember that each individual is an important part of the whole community. Harvey reminds us that we can’t forget the ones who need help. And that everyone deserves to be helped. Harvey reminds us that it could get personal…it could be you that needs help the next time.
When disaster strikes, we may feel powerless. And then we can access the situation. We can consider our actions; decide what we can control. In that moment, we are able to feel our own power. We take action to take care of what matters. Harvey is big enough to get our attention. Harvey can remind us that each one of us has the power to do what is right; to help one another. We are better able to face our biggest challenges when we do it together.