Demons among Angels
The gentle caress of the sea breeze, the glint of sunlight upon dew-topped leaves in the morning, the cacophony of birds, the kaleidescope of colour in the flowers… it’s little wonder that artists throughout the ages have depicted Nature with a distinctly maternal theme.
So human beings take all this for granted, thinking that every day will be all sugar and sweetness.
Yet when we stand upon the beach and feel the waves gently lapping our feet, we become acutely aware of the simmering power of the ocean. And then there are those terrible days when we find out just what nature can do.
Nature has once again shown its awesome potential as a destructive force. If the tsunami that devastated much of the coastal areas in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia wasn’t enough indication of what it can do, then the hurricane that’s devastated New Orleans certainly is.
While I am shocked by the destruction caused by natural events, I am shocked even more by the events that have unfolded due to human intervention – the sniper attack on rescuers at the hospital, the armed gangs looting etc. Despite seeing and hearing of incidents of this nature in the past, the effect is hardly diminished. I have always been cynical of human nature and these incidents just go on to affirm that view, especially with regard to the scammers who are trying to make a quick buck off this calamity.
Indi and Ivap have details on the US response to this calamity and various questions that have been asked on its implementation. Judging by the the relief activities carried out here in Sri Lanka by American personnel during the post-tsunami period, we can only hope that those so strongly affected by the hurricane will receive similar relief – soon.
The latest developments on this story unfold on CNN and BBC.
The ravages of nature are the most powerful message that we, collectively as humanity, are still fallible and have much further to go. Amongst the angels who heed the call of their conscience to help the helpless – irrespective of differences of geography, ethnicity, religion or whatever other distinction – there still walk demons.
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