One moment I was hanging out with my brothers and a couple kids from our neighborhood in our basement and the next I’m calling for ambulance. After I went to the bathroom I had discovered my dad on the floor out cold. And while every effort was made, my dad was gone.
These whiplash, life altering moments are some of the most challenging of the human experience. Sudden illness, an accident, natural or man-made disasters can all change our lives in the blink of an eye.
Last week we witnessed a place that many view as paradise be decimated to ash and rubble. The number of lives lost is absolutely staggering and those impacted is almost incomprehensible. Loves ones, homes, livelihoods – all destroyed in a matter of moments.
There is also the loss of significant history both in terms of items that families treasured and buildings. One such structure was Holy Innocence Episcopal Church, whose history connects from King Kamehameha and Queen Emma. And then there is the natural lush landscape that is now blackened and charred.
Their lives will never be the same. And the days ahead will continue to be filled with all the stages of grief that our fertile ground in such a catastrophic time.
Yet, there can be hope on the horizon…
And that hopes comes from the folks that surround us in these moments…
What increased my capacity so many years ago, and what I have witnessed in others, in finding a way forward has been the response of family, friends, faith community and strangers. Knowing we’re not alone in our darkest moments is the glimmer of light that helps us begin to see a path forward and to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes.
All of us have the opportunity, dare I say responsibility, when another’s life has been deeply impacted to walk with them through the ashes to new life. That’s what it means to be resurrection people.
How might we do so with our siblings in Hawaii? Here are a few ways:
https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/
BP