For those of us living in a Puritanical City on a Hill in some frozen northern clime, it's hard to imagine life on a tropical beach in the exotic latitudes.
What kind of life did those Tsunami victims lead?
Was it all sun, surf and sand?
Perhaps, the plain village life where everyone knew their place, and things were always simple and relaxed.
Alas, we can only imagine---or, tune in to "Survivor!"
Perhaps, the more beautiful a place is, the more dangerous it can be?
The mountains can be risky too, there are always earthquake faults somewhere nearby. Even if you can't seen them........
Now that's a Puritanical notion!
The wages of fun in the sun, or breathtaking mountain views is death by Tsunami, Cyclone or Earthquake!
Why can't everyplace be like Minnesota? Safe! Cold! Dull! Always cloudy!
People in Minnesota live longer! Or maybe it just seems longer.....?
One commentator on the Tsunami Tragedy today said something rather odd.
He asked: Do these people have any consolation from a belief in life after death, like we Christians do? Does their religion help them in time of disaster?
Well, of course this is the land of Hindus and Buddhists. These are the foundational religions of the Human Race. And, of course religion comforts them.
But not the way a Christian would understand.
Hindus and Buddhists are both rather fatalistic. They believe that anyone who has lived out his days has had a long life. So, all who die do so because their life is over, no matter what their age or station in life.
Buddhists believe in the transient nature of all things.
And, the Tsunami certainly showed that our material things are weak and transient when confronted with the full force of the natural world.
OUR TINY WATER WORLD MOVING IN SPACE TIME AROUND A STAR UNIMAGINABLY HOT AND VIOLENT, SURROUNDED BY COMETS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEORS!
SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO BE VERY SMALL AND VERY INSIGNIFICANT, AS WE SURELY ARE----
IN A UNIVERSE SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL AND VIOLENT THAN WE CAN EVEN IMAGINE.
