Queensland

I can’t look at the news without tears blurring my vision right at the moment. Major disasters like Haiti, the tsunami in Indonesia have always moved me, affected me emotionally and made me grateful for how fortunate I am to live in a safe and well established country. But this is so much closer to home. The news reports are coming thick and fast, I am getting updates on Facebook from friends who live in the area and I am hearing place names that are all too familiar.

I almost feel guilty that this (and the Victorian bushfires of 2009) seems to effect me so much more profoundly than situations overseas. I feel like I lack empathy for those situations. I feel it, don’t get me wrong, I really do, but I guess we don’t get the news saturation for overseas events like we do for events that happen at home.

I think the other reason is that, sharing a continent and a culture with Queenslanders, it kind of drives home the fact that these are people just like me. People that go to work in an office every day, that come home, maybe hit the gym, they cook meat and 3 veg for dinner, watch the same programs on TV as me, wear the same types of clothes and shop in the same kinds of shops as I do. In short, it is only by grace that it is not me inundated by water. It’s only by grace that I know where my family are and if I pick up the phone and dial their number, they’ll answer and be able to tell me that they’re safe and well.

These kinds of situations bring out both the best and the worst in humanity. They become religious and political soap-boxes. The number of people I have seen commenting on public forums, blaming the elected government for the devastation that has occurred is phenomenal! I wouldn’t be PM for quids, especially at a time like this. No matter who is in power, they are a mere human being and have no power to stop a river bursting its banks and inundating towns and cities with water. Realistically, could anyone have foreseen this event? And if they could, how much could have been done to prevent the loss of life and the massive loss of property and infrastructure?

And the response of the Christian Fundamentalists, I could have cried with frustration when Catch the Fire Ministries pastor Daniel Nalliah said that the Victoria bushfires was God’s response to Victorias stance on abortion. Nalliah is at it again, saying the floods are all Kevin Rudd’s fault for calling on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as well as open up their nuclear facilities to the UN inspectors. How dare he suggest that God’s chosen people (sarcasm font) should be accountable for their nuclear arms! As a Christian myself, I get so frustrated at these small minded zealots that make grand, sweeping statements about such things. Hey guys, there is a whole NEW TESTEMENT now! It’s been around for 2000+ years, read it, for Gods sake!!

There is no supernatural, political or religious explanation. It is environmental. It is indiscriminate and it is unfair. Don’t cast aspersions, don’t judge, let’s just do what we can to help, wether that be through donations of dry clothes, food and money, for those that have the means, helping out physically and for those who are spiritually inclined, prayer.