BY: DONALD SEVILLA
A FIERY REMINDER
The devastating fires that continue to ravage the city of Los Angeles portray a hellish scene from some apocalyptic movie. While it is home to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, of movie celebrities and multi- million dollar mansions that show the lifestyles of the rich and famous with their material excesses, ironically the “City of Angels” now paints a different picture.
The destruction highlights the fleeting nature of our opulence, that all we own and possess in this earth are but temporary and in an instant, can be taken away.
While we didn’t want this coming, it is a stark reminder of the fragility of our existence, a wakeup call to our drive for ambition and the pursuit of material wealth.
What were mostly affected were the rich neighborhoods and gated communities that offered stunning views of the mountains and the ocean below.
Yet more than anything, it shows that despite our advances in technology and our precautions, we are helpless when Mother Nature strikes.
Although in the aftermath of such cataclysmic event, investigations will surely be conducted to determine its cause whether from arson or some natural phenomenon, still it does not erase our vulnerabilty to forces beyond our control.
Despite their best efforts, firefighters are at the mercy of the changing winds. Wind patterns impede their ability to fight fires or open windows of opportunity to control the blaze.
But for all the heartbreak and devastation we have seen, heartwarming scenes of people helping one another, victims reaching out to fellow victims and handing out food to weary emergency workers offer a glimpse into the resiliency of human nature.
Acts of kindness and compassion are always a welcome relief at times of tribulation and crisis.
Yet what this catastrophe does, is open to our eyes, not just to our own suffering but to the millions of others around the world who never had a chance .The rich people of LA have had their greater share of privileges more than anyone but in the midst of this great conflagration, it does not discriminate against race, color or creed. It affects everyone.
Our sympathies and prayers go to the victims of this tragedy and the thousands of firefighters, emergency workers and volunteers who work tirelessly hand in hand to control the devastation.
This is a test of our faith and the ability of the human spirit to rise above the challenges that come our way!
To our friends and family in the LA area stay safe. Let us stand united in prayer!
#prayforthefirevictims
#prayforthefirefightersandemergencyworkers
#prayforthoseinneed