Just a little over a week ago, I was in Tohoku, Japan as part of a media team for a non-profit organization, Churches Helping Churches.  A detailed post of my time up north is on its way.  I’m still reflecting on the tragedy that has come upon northern Japan and the rebuilding that must take place in the cities and in people’s lives.

One of the things brought home to me as I was taking pictures of the destruction before me is that for all man’s creativity and ingenuity, we build things that won’t last.  We might know this in our heads but on a daily basis, we lead lives that come perilously close to delusional.  Why?  Because we think our lives are somehow invincible.  We take so much comfort from our possessions.  We work hard on things that truly aren’t meaningful.  The tragedy in northern Japan has taught me that life is beautiful but it is short and fragile.  I should correct myself to say that life CAN be beautiful if we live it in a way that give value to others rather than hopelessly trying to attain meaning from possessions.

The blooming of flowers during springtime are a gentle reminder to me of this reflection: we have an incredibly short amount of time in which we can display the beauty that God has intended for our lives.  We need to take a hard look at our lives. Are we living it for others or for things?