Storms

Living is strife and torment, disappointment and love and sacrifice, golden sunsets and black storms. I said that some time ago, and today I do not think I would add one word. – Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier (1907 -1989) was an Oscar-winning thespian best remembered for his psychologically intense Shakespeare adaptations, both as an actor and a director. His life experience off and on stage includes his having gone through two world wars, tumultuous storms, from English plains and his personal life. He has written much about these.

My husband and I have been blessed for not having experienced the last two world wars nor being caught in a crossfire. We have had our fair share of experiencing storms together, thankfully most of which have come in geologic forms.

Occasionally, a storm may be a spectacle viewed from the comfort of one’s home through TV broadcasts or social media postings. However, even in safety, we watch in horror and anxiety, if not for ourselves, then for the sake of the victims we see on screen. The Pacific Ocean has the greatest number of storms and cyclones. A general westward path affects the Philippines, Southern Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Every Filipino then has experienced a battery of storms in his or her lifetime.

Our affinity with the conceptual and experiential phenomenon of a storm has given us this ready analogy with life as we experience it day-to-day. We have all experienced encounters beyond our control leaving us no option but to trust in God and his providence. We call these storms. When we read Matthew 8:23-27, we all know that we are comprehending not just the experience of a geological storm but psychological, emotional, and even spiritual storms. In any of these contexts, we experience our vulnerability. Our planet has served as the arena for millions and billions of storms and other geological catastrophes, yet has withstood these. Despite human frailty, both physical and spiritual, our ancestors have likewise survived these, and all 8 billion of us living on Earth – proofs of life – are testaments to their having done so. Indeed, each storm that we encounter leads us to contemplation and circumspect the human condition.

Man, puny as he is, has contributed in many ways to the understanding of this geological phenomenon through advances in the production of satellites and in weather forecasting. Much knowledge has been forwarded my man, but each knowledge acquired comes with the realization that much more needs to be understood in the human condition. Indeed, the quest for particulars is human, but comprehension is divine.

Encounters with storms are occasions for blessings and miracles. Yolanda brought the pope to the Philippines when there was a drought for physical governance and a spiritual leader was needed. But perhaps most edifying during each encounter with storms would be man’s heightened show of heroism and resilience. During storms, man shows the capacity to opt for what is noble risking his or her own physical safety. Even in impoverished urban areas, there is a remarkable willingness to share limited resources. People engage in acts of philanthropy and participate in rescue operations. Groups that typically focus on the hero-worship of pop stars or celebrities redirect their efforts to support storm victims. These encounters with storms and the human response to disasters and calamities offer hope that humanity will embrace nobility, acknowledge the greatness of human potential, and carry out heroic deeds fueled by faith.