NOT FAR FROM THE EPICENTRE

 




“It takes an earthquake to remind us,

that we walk on the crust of an unfinished planet.”

Charles Kuralt


 

Last evening, while watching the disturbing images of devastation in Turkey, I remembered one of my dear friends. His sister’s entire family has been living in Turkey for nearly ten years, now. I was quite tensed as I messaged him… “Hope sister’s family is safe in Turkey.”

“Mercifully, yes. The tremors haven’t touched Istanbul, yet,” my friend replied.

That’s when I realized, that my friend’s statement carried a great irony of our existence…

When natural disasters, like earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones etc., strike, you and I are either caught in them, or spared. “God has been kind,” was my instant conclusion on reading my friend’s reply. But, at hindsight, a question kept haunting me – “Why has not God been kind to the ones caught in the disasters?”… “Why has He been so selective?”

But, then, who am I to question God?





Not very far from the epicenter of Turkey’s natural disaster, we, also. get to witness a man-made disaster. Exactly a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine and the war still rages on. There is a long history behind this war… It has been raging on for years with no sign of ending. What about the citizens caught in the middle of this man-made disaster?

While you and I can take a sigh of relief saying, “The war hasn’t reached our door, yet,” the same response pops up: “God has been kind to us.” Followed by the same question, “Then, why has not God been kind to those caught in this war?”

Both, the earthquakes and wars, are beyond the control you and me. We can feel sad and extremely concerned about the helpless people… We can pray for them and their countries… Maybe, we can remind ourselves to live with humility and gratitude…

That’s all we can do…

Charles Kuralt’s statement makes sense: “It takes an earthquake to remind us, that we walk on the crust of an unfinished planet.”

I wish to add this: “It takes a war to remind us, that we walk on the crust of an unfinished ‘collective greed and arrogance’.”






GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: Kahlil Ashawi/Reuters

 

Videos: 1. The Global and Mail 2. KING 5 Seattle

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...