source: www.guardian.co.uk

There is no shortage of shocking news around the world these days. Just the last two days, we have heard of a plane crash in New York, and another one in London. As for Australia, it has more than a fair share of the natural disasters. I am talking about the flooding in the northern part in the State of Queensland, and the bushfire in the State of Victoria. In the span of a week, the latter has scorched over 450,000 hectares of land, and wiped out over 1,800 homes, caused 181 deaths, and over 7,000 people homeless.  As expected, the final number in the death toll will definitely be a lot higher.

Time and again, events like these remind us how vulnerable human lives can be.  Amid the mourning and sighs over the loss of family, friends, property, and life-earned possessions, there are stories of courage and love.  We are particularly touched by the work carried out by the voluntary bodies like the CFA (Country Fire Association) and the Red Cross. I am sure that there are numerous other unsung heroes out there who have helped in every big and small way to bring people under shelter and away from danger. We salute to these guys who have done so much for the benefits of the others.

Staying in the comfort of my home in Sydney, I question how much do I (or can I) understand the anxiety and despair experienced by those people in the danger zone there. I can tell you now that I come to know a bit more after I stumbled across the blog site called The Professional Hobo by Nora and Kelly.  Nora’s experience of the first day of the fire in the neighbourhood of Taggerty gave us a vivid picture about the dangers of living in the bush.

From the media, we learnt that the high death toll is because a lot of people hadn’t had enough time to respond.  The velocity with which the fire spread was beyond what many have perceived. This could be seen by the way people fled.  They barely had the time to gather their valuables.

To the people who unfortunately are amidst these trauma and loss, our heart goes to you and your family. We feel your pain.  Even in your darkest moments, please be reassured that there is always a loving GOD up there, willing and able, to listen and give you peace and strength.  Just pray to HIM and you will find.  Amen.

Live Life, Junius.
p.s. In collaboration with the Victorian State government, the Australian Red Cross has been more than prompt to provide assistance to all affected by the devastating bushfires in Victoria. You can make a secure donation by going to their website at http://www.redcross.org.au/default.asp