"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers- so many caring people in this world." -Fred Rogers.
Those are some really good words from Mister Rogers himself. This morning I had to turn in a paper on visual communication- basically the assignment was to choose a picture from a provided set of popular photos from tragic events that have occurred in recent years, and argue from an ethical standpoint whether or not the photo should have been published. The photo I chose was of a firefighter holding a burned and dying baby after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. And it's really appropriate that I just found this Mister Rogers quote tonight, because it's basically my argument for why this horrendous photo should have been published: tragedy brings opportunity.
Tragedy is unavoidable. We live in a broken, desperate world, and honestly, without the troubles in this world, we wouldn't be able to appreciate how perfect and whole Heaven is going to be. But here's what I think is beautiful about tragedy: it presents us with a choice. We can pout, get angry, or try to take revenge... OR we can get up, dust ourselves off, and do everything in our power to help heal, recover, and prevent. Instead of being the protesters, let's be the helpers. When we witness a tragedy, we have the opportunity to nudge away the pain in favor of caring, help, and selflessness. Out of tragedy can come triumph. And that is truly beautiful.
Those are some really good words from Mister Rogers himself. This morning I had to turn in a paper on visual communication- basically the assignment was to choose a picture from a provided set of popular photos from tragic events that have occurred in recent years, and argue from an ethical standpoint whether or not the photo should have been published. The photo I chose was of a firefighter holding a burned and dying baby after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. And it's really appropriate that I just found this Mister Rogers quote tonight, because it's basically my argument for why this horrendous photo should have been published: tragedy brings opportunity.
Tragedy is unavoidable. We live in a broken, desperate world, and honestly, without the troubles in this world, we wouldn't be able to appreciate how perfect and whole Heaven is going to be. But here's what I think is beautiful about tragedy: it presents us with a choice. We can pout, get angry, or try to take revenge... OR we can get up, dust ourselves off, and do everything in our power to help heal, recover, and prevent. Instead of being the protesters, let's be the helpers. When we witness a tragedy, we have the opportunity to nudge away the pain in favor of caring, help, and selflessness. Out of tragedy can come triumph. And that is truly beautiful.