Hurricane Harvey was devastating. Hurricanes usually are.
Some say that Houston and its surrounding area will be dealing with the aftermath of the Category 3 hurricane for decades to come. Surely thousands of families will forever be affected by the carnage done to their homes and to their city.
My heart truly breaks for my fellow Texans. However, in the days following the storm, I have been heartened seeing the hundreds and thousands of Texans banding together to help one another. Relief efforts are being organized at incredibly rapid rates; people are taking their own boats into flooded areas to perform rescues; thousands more are rushing to relief facilities to donate goods or blood. Many people from all over our nation are reaching out with love and prayers to those affected.
Many have juxtaposed the events surrounding Hurricane Harvey with the bitter controversy that followed the Charlottesville events. How Harvey united us as a nation, while Charlottesville brutally divided us. Although we mourned the horrific loss experienced by those in Houston and surrounding areas, we celebrated the great compassion demonstrated by so many in reaching out all those affected.
America. We can't wait for natural disasters to unite.
We have to stop letting our neighbors' homes be reduced to rubble to recognize their humanity.
If anyone in the public eye were to say something dispassionate towards those in South Texas, there would be immediate and severe backlash. And rightfully so! But every day when we log on to social media, every day when we walk around our campuses, every day when we walk into CHURCH...we can all see evidence of hatred and bitterness. In public, we are quick to denounce those with different political and religious beliefs. We spew hatred in private when we talk about friends who have betrayed us, family who hurt us, or public officials who made decisions we disagreed with.
We aren't wired towards kindness. It takes conscious effort to restrain our angry, vengeful, and selfish tendencies. Watch a group of kids playing together for any length of time, and you'll realize that this is true. We aren't born naturally kind. It is so easy, and can even feel "right" to get caught up in the self-perpetuating downward spiral of mindless competitive banter.
But here's the thing. The people in Houston? They're the ones you've fought with on Facebook. Some of them voted for Hillary Clinton, and some of them voted for Donald Trump. They are Christians, Muslims, atheists, and any number of other religious beliefs. Some support DACA; some don't. They have every variation of view on homosexuality, abortion, and global warming.
And yet, against all natural odds, we all stood with Houston these last few weeks. We stood in solidarity with them in their time of inexpressible need and disaster. Why? Because we recognized the disaster as a time that required us to set aside our differences to work together. Through the heartbreaking disaster, we have had a beautiful opportunity to see the power we can wield when we work together for the common good, without regard to those things that usually divide us.
Now, you may or may not live in Houston. Your home may not have been leveled by historically severe wind and rain. But I wouldn't be surprised if you have your own personal hurricane in life right now. You don't call it Harvey, but you might call it Depression. You might call it an Eating Disorder. Or Breakup. Or Abuse.
I know I have a hurricane. The people around me have them. Your neighbors have them. The people we can't stand - they have them, too. They aren't always obvious, but they wreak havoc just as real as what occurred in Texas.
So. When the news coverage dies down, let's keep standing. Let's stand for those in Houston, hurting with the physical and emotional aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy. Let's also stand for our coworkers, our families, and our enemies. Let's choose love and kindness over bitterness and pride. No matter who you come across, I can promise you that they have a story - and a hurricane. Love them while you have a chance.
Hurricane Harvey was devastating. Hurricanes usually are.
Be careful, America. The next hurricane we see may be of our own doing, born of our own hatred.