Quote
"And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." Kahlil Gibran.
News
Something very special happened in Chile this week. The seventy day ordeal of the 33 miners trapped underground came to a triumphant end, and people all round the world cheered as one by one the miners were lifted to safety and their families, freedom and fame.
Sadly, industrial accidents happen all the time, miners are trapped and killed underground regularly, yet such events rarely attract more than a cursory news report. What made this one so special? Was it the record breaking length of time the miners were underground? Was it the extraordinary drama of the survival and rescue operation that was unfolding before the world’s media gathered at the San Jose mine? Or perhaps it was the way this story brings to the fore the immense value and potential of human relationships…
Witness the dedication, hard work and skill of the rescuers as they sought to reach their trapped colleagues in time. Witness the way the miners had to organise themselves, eke out their meagre supplies, and keep their spirits up awaiting rescue. Witness the way in which people around the world helped the Chilean government in the operation: special cellphones from Korea, flexible fiber-optic cable from Germany, advice from NASA, the rescue capsule from Austria, the U.S.-manufactured rig and drill bits – paid for by Japanese and British investors – that managed to penetrate through the rock in record time.
Perhaps best of all was the moment each miner was reunited with his loved ones after emerging from what could so easily have been his tomb. Those of us watching were privileged to witness affection in its purest form – something present in most relationships yet so often diluted or neglected by the stresses of everyday family life. This time, however, that love for another – distilled and refined by the agonising ten week ordeal endured by the miners and their families camped in the desert of northern Chile – was poured out tenderly, uniquely, gloriously in each long hoped for embrace.
Something very special happened in Chile this week. The seventy day ordeal of the 33 miners trapped underground came to a triumphant end, and people all round the world cheered as one by one the miners were lifted to safety and their families, freedom and fame.
Sadly, industrial accidents happen all the time, miners are trapped and killed underground regularly, yet such events rarely attract more than a cursory news report. What made this one so special? Was it the record breaking length of time the miners were underground? Was it the extraordinary drama of the survival and rescue operation that was unfolding before the world’s media gathered at the San Jose mine? Or perhaps it was the way this story brings to the fore the immense value and potential of human relationships…
Witness the dedication, hard work and skill of the rescuers as they sought to reach their trapped colleagues in time. Witness the way the miners had to organise themselves, eke out their meagre supplies, and keep their spirits up awaiting rescue. Witness the way in which people around the world helped the Chilean government in the operation: special cellphones from Korea, flexible fiber-optic cable from Germany, advice from NASA, the rescue capsule from Austria, the U.S.-manufactured rig and drill bits – paid for by Japanese and British investors – that managed to penetrate through the rock in record time.
Perhaps best of all was the moment each miner was reunited with his loved ones after emerging from what could so easily have been his tomb. Those of us watching were privileged to witness affection in its purest form – something present in most relationships yet so often diluted or neglected by the stresses of everyday family life. This time, however, that love for another – distilled and refined by the agonising ten week ordeal endured by the miners and their families camped in the desert of northern Chile – was poured out tenderly, uniquely, gloriously in each long hoped for embrace.
Read on...
The BBC spent an unprecedented £100,000 on covering the rescue in Chile; the themes of courage, hope and jubilation come through frequently in this blow by blow account of the operation: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/9086813.stm
Walk the talk
Are you aware of a prolonged ordeal that a friend or acquaintance is going through? Think of an action or gesture which you might make to demonstrate they are not forgotten, and if possible help to lighten their load, even if only for a short while.
The last word
From the Bible, Galatians chapter 6 verse 2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.”
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