Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Searching for...

There was a plane crash in a parking lot in Massachusetts today... a cancer patient and his wife being flown by a pilot to a medical facility for specialized treatment - all as part of a charity service that helps people in need of medical assistance for life-threatening illnesses get from one place to another so they can utilize services that might save their lives.

All three died. Onlookers saw the plane in flames, saw there were people inside, but were unable to do anything to help without getting terribly injured.

The lucky part is no one else was injured when the plane hit the ground. But it is still a tragedy for the people involved, as well as their friends and family, who must be feeling a terrible sense of unfairness or karmic injustice with one question echoing: Why?

There are many theories for why such things happen, some religious, some spiritual, some total stabs in the dark - all our best guesses... because we really just don't know. We struggle to make sense of the nonsensical... to see patterns out of chaos... to feel we can interpret symbols and eke out some form of truth so that ultimately we feel less alone, less scared, and more safe.

However you may understand such things, perhaps there is a way to take in the event and honor the people who were lost. Maybe it's a moment of gratitude for your safety and comfort. Maybe it's lighting a candle or saying a prayer for the plane's occupants and their loved ones. Maybe it's taking a moment to reflect on what you fear, what you value, or what you believe.

Or maybe you can feel that uncomfortable ache wherein the world seems to simply not make any sense... and still manage to embrace hope on the other side.

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