I'm not gonna lie, I've been slightly glued to the coverage of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince. TV, internet, random twitter feeds...I can't seem to soak in enough information about the extent of the disaster. It's different than just rubbernecking at an accident on 285, though. There's a different feel to it--it's more than just tragic, it's a profound sense of loss for this people group I know almost nothing about. But as I've been watching TV, reading articles, or looking at the macabre photos, I've been struck by a few things.
First, I'm still not quite sure what to think about the extent of the media coverage of the situation. On the one hand, there is no way that anyone outside of Port-au-Prince could even begin to comprehend the extent of the destruction without in-depth media coverage. Furthermore, we Americans (myself included) are typically a selfish, rather narrow-minded group of people. We are a rich, powerful country, yes, but we need these gruesome photos to kick our asses into action. Otherwise, I think we'd just continue to flip through channels and take our clean drinking water and reliable electricity for-granted. By the same token, is there a boundary between journalism and exploitation of a devastated people group? I don't think that's the heart of most of the journalists/broadcasting companies, but I'm sure there are some that are there looking for the next "Time Photograph of the Year."
Second, I've been flipping between CNN and Fox News on TV (as well as online), and I've noticed that there's a difference between the two. (Yes, I know the two are quite different to begin with. I'm not that blond.) Most would say that Fox is more conservative, and their perspective is more "in line" with the "church." After all, wasn't Jesus a Republican? CNN, on the other hand, is more on the liberal side and therefore set "against" the church. Go look at each of their websites--one is covered with coverage from Haiti. If you're looking for news about the rest of the world, you have to scroll down and look for it. Even then, the headlines are sparse. On the other site, there's a picture with a headline from Haiti, but the other side of the page has headlines from the status of healthcare reform and the Massachusetts Senate race. Go look at the websites and you decide--was Jesus really a Republican? Or do you think he might have been a bit more like say Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is staying in makeshift hospitals caring for the wounded and sick with a mere stethoscope and very primitive medical supplies?
The pictures are horrifying, particularly those that Time has posted. I just heard that traffic was blocked on one road not because of debris from buildings but because of piles of bodies. An article I read said that the "scent of death is everywhere," and that's why all the pictures show people wearing masks or bandanas or stuffing orange peels in their noses. The destruction is beyond anything I could ever fathom.
At the end of the day, all I know is that we were not created for this. We were not made for death, we were not made for destruction. This was not the original intent for creation.
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, also groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
-Romans 8:22-25
Now that jet-lag is long-gone, I thought I'd get back into the blog-world by posting a bit about China. Some pictures, a few short thoughts...nothing ground-breaking. Here's one of my favorite shots from touring in Beijing. We spent most of the morning at the Great Wall. Words barely scratch the surface and a picture could never capture the full weight of the experience. It was incredibly humbling to be there, knowing the historical significance of the Wall. 
