Aug 4,5

Smoke began to fill the skies over the Mediterranean Sea. Flashes and explosions of light lit the day as an involuntary fireworks display began. Cameras turned to record the show, not knowing when or how it would end. In the fateful seconds, time stopped.

With a sudden roar came the blast.

A shockwave traveled in an instant and will last a lifetime. Buildings burned, windows smashed. Cars, people, and ships were tossed into the air like toys thrown asunder by a temperamental child. All that is left of the port of Beirut is ashes and a giant hole where buildings once stood. Images recorded the seconds that tore the city apart, leaving the poor and devastated nation to pick up the pieces and wonder; why.

Seeing the first videos, I was left in a state of disbelief. Was this an old video of a time of war in the Middle East, an area wracked by constant conflict? My stomach churned as I saw more footage of the devastation. My day went by in ease; the day for those poor souls taken was sudden and final. The repercussions of this tragic event will stay with the area for years to come. My heart breaks for those affected. In times like these we want to help, to reach out, yet we are helplessly watching the wreck of a country on our screens. Screens that have brought to light another tragic event in a year of ongoing misery for much of our world.

Technology has brought us all closer together and allowed us to see images of destruction that were at one time only a picture in the paper. I remember growing up during the Lebanese civil war. It was a world away, people were dying every day but in our insular world in Canada, we stayed unaffected. Now through the camera eyes, we see first-hand the devastation and feel the pain from thousands of miles away.

Lebanon has been one of the world’s sad stories for years. Surrounded by incredible wealth, the tiny country on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea has suffered greatly for the world’s greed. Living in fear they have tried to carry on, a puppet of the powers around it. Now it suffers anew.

How anyone could have stored fireworks and ammonium nitrate in such close proximity is unfathomable. In Lebanon it was an unfortunate tragedy waiting to happen. In a country run by factions of criminals and thugs, such oversight and regulations are mere second thoughts. Greed and ignorance have brought about such carnage and destruction. Devastation wrought that the world has rarely seen in peacetime, let alone in times of war. The pieces of the city are scattered and may never be put back together. In our safe valley, we watch in horror and sorrow, helpless to do anything but silently pray for their salvation.

In a time when a tiny strand of RNA has paralyzed the world we have grown closer together, yet further apart. A hundred years ago the Spanish flu wreaked havoc on the world. Our civilization was on the brink, recovering from a destructive war that killed millions. In the century since, we have surpassed the wildest imaginings of our forefathers. Much of that recovery and advancement came because of the devastation caused by wars, caused by disease. Humanity has been strengthened like steal being hammered on an anvil.

As we recover from the tragic events of 2020 I hold out hope that we are being strengthened yet again. A hundred years from now I hope we have become stronger and grown together as a society. Our lives and our world better for the suffering of today.