My Gratitude to the People of Japan

Over the past several weeks we have all seen the devastation that the earthquake and subsequent tsunami has wrought on the country of Japan.  As much as I would like to send financial help, I can’t.  Certainly I can lift these people up in prayer but there must be more.  I believe that that “more” is to learn the lessons that the Japanese people are so eloquently teaching by their actions.

According to the news reports, the majority of the country of Japan is Buddhist but I have never seen a group of people who so literally are living the New Testament dictum to “love one another as I have loved you”.  For example, since the beginning of this crisis, you have not seen the looting that you would have seen – have seen – in other countries when a catastrophe like this hits.  Instead they believe, and live, the truth that we are all one and that what we do to one we do to all.  Instead of the stealing from one another that you often see, in Japan people are doing all they can to serve one another out of their utter poverty.  I saw the story of a man who had lost his home and family but went to work in his noodle shop to serve other survivors for free so they wouldn’t starve. 

I have been amazed and impressed with CEO’s and Japanese politicians bowing low to their people in apology for perceived wrongs and shortcomings in the infrastructure of their country.  Even though I can’t imagine anyone could have prepared for the double crisis that their country had endured, instead of blaming others, passing the buck, they took responsibility and said “I’m sorry”.  When was the last time we saw that in our country.

I am amazed and humbled by the incredible strength in their conviction that they will rebuild and that, eventually, although life will have changed, they will come back better and stronger.

Since I firmly believe that life happens for us, not to us, I have to ask, “What am I to learn from this”.  Certainly in Avon, Ohio it has nothing to do with earthquake preparedness or worry about nuclear meltdowns.  Rather, the example of these people challenges me to make sure I am living in such a way that it is obvious that I not only have a spiritual life but that I try to live it.

They call me by their actions to not transfer responsibility for my life to others – the government, my neighbors, anyone else but myself.  If I’m miserable, then I allow myself to be that way.

I hope that I can be strong enough to rebuild my life in the midst of crisis, whatever that might be, to be better than I was before. 

And as I work on all that, I hope that we all might reflect on the debt of gratitude we owe to a people who have suffered so much.  Thank you people of Japan.