Praying For Japan

I'm not a terribly religious person, but I pray when I am worried about people I love or situations that I hope will get better for people. Right now, when I am not obsessively checking the New York Times website for updates, I am praying for the people of Japan and their country that has been so devastated by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami last Friday.  It is almost incomprehensible how much damage there is and still undetermined how many lives have been lost.  And the uncertainty of a possible nuclear disaster is pushing my brain to the edge of what it can handle. I carry a healthy dose of Catholic guilt around from my childhood, so I feel guilty that I am sitting here, safe and sound, while so many suffer elsewhere.

I was particularly shocked by the images in a video I saw last night that shows, in six and a half minutes, how the ocean just rolled into town, down the street, and then swept everything away.

There isn't a dramatic moment of a wall of water.

There aren't people screaming.

The water just starts to flow and it gets deeper and faster with every passing second.

You can see the video here.

If you haven't yet donated to help the people of Japan who are homeless, without water, and without power, I hope you will now.  I have found a reputable organization to donate through, called Global Giving. If you add the recommended percentage at the end, 100% of your donation will go to help the people in Japan.  You can click that link above or on the widget in the sidebar.

Thank you.