I Heard the News Today, Oh Boy

As if things weren't tough enough already in Haiti, the news of the earthquake is distressing and disturbing. The scale and scope of the disaster is beyond comprehension; numbers like 3 million people affected, thousands dead, are too big to fathom.

Maybe it's embarrassing to say, but the news that really affected me was the news of a mother run over by a car and killed while crossing the street with her 12-week old in a stroller. While I don't intend to dismiss the crisis in Haiti, this story hit closer to home for me.

It's almost like we have to quantify our grief; I can feel the anguish and loss for a single family but I have to numb myself to the overwhelming devastation of thousands.

Or is my compassion is limited by my imagination? I can relate to a traffic accident or tragedies for newborns, a city destroyed by an earthquake feels more like an element of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Regardless, the news today puts the "tribulations" of my life into perspective. As for now, I'm left facing a world filled with suffering and sorrow, with prayers in my heart, and thanksgiving for life.