The exceptional number of disasters this past year have caused a new phrase to be added to the language: compassion fatigue. An article in the New York Times calls it "Becoming Compassionately Numb," and it describes the fact that there are limits to our physical and emotional resources.
Frank and I discovered what it meant in a very real way. When we planned our giving last year, we included a contribution to Haiti through an international relief agency. They were to make a monthly withdrawal from our bank account.
Then, when the earthquake struck Japan, we called to make a separate, larger gift to Japan. Whether through a misunderstanding or malfeasance, they began to withdraw the larger amount each month. It took a long time to straighten out.
It was one lesson we learned from the disasters, and here are six more:
1. We are not in control. God, who made the world, controls what happens to it and to us. He never intended the world to be permanent. Someday it is going to end.
The Apostle Matthew writes in his Gospel, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. . . . Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:7-8, 12-13).
2. We should do what we can to prepare for disasters. That being said, so long as the earth remains, we should value it and do what we can to take care of it, ourselves and each other. We should prepare for disasters by being aware and having a plan, by maintaining an emergency preparedness kit and by building physical and social structures that can withstand the obvious risks.
3. We should work together. We should cooperate with other communities, cities, states and nations to benefit from our shared experience. Because of its singular experiences, Japan is well situated to help us all prepare for earthquakes, floods and nuclear disasters.
4. We should give as we're able while realizing that nobody can do it all. We shouldn't let the magnitude of the task overwhelm us. Our efforts, combined with those of people from various places and with varied abilities, can make a difference.
5. We should encourage the people we know who are coping with disaster. There are many forms of disaster--weather, personal, family, financial, health. And there are many ways to encourage others. Sometimes we can contribute funds, but other times we can use words, touch and service to help those impacted by them.
6. We should pray for those impacted by disaster, trusting that God will provide our needs and theirs. We should ask God's guidance in caring for his world and trust our lives to his care.
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