We thought we'd seen it all with last year's devastating hurricane season, statistically the worst in the Southeast's history. Astronomical property loss compounded by countless displacements and — up-until-then — unfathomable human misery and suffering. What else could happen? A tsunami of epic proportions?

Exactly.

With the death toll still climbing at this writing, in a catastrophe of probably immeasurable proportions that literally shook the earth on its very axis and may change shoreline imprint on a dozen countries, will we ever feel safe on this earth again?

It's sad enough that we constantly ourselves and our environment with intentional or accidental nuclear holocaust, bad enough that we pollute our entire planet and destroy our natural resources through carelessness and selfish consumption, and disgraceful enough that we systematically turn blind eyes to the suffering of the impoverished and sick. These are all situations that we could, if we really put our heads together and humanitarian efforts into higher gear, alleviate or even eradicate.

Nature is another kind of challenge altogether. Insured losses from the tsunamis are expected to soar to no more than $10 billion. Operative word here is insured. The actual cost of the losses may never be accurately determined; and the loss of life will be equally hard to pinpoint. Entire families decimated, and no census figures to fall back on for verification.

In previous disaster scenarios, either natural or manmade, the insurance industry has always played an important and worthwhile role in alleviating suffering and aiding in reconstruction, not only of properties but also of lives. Even in the horrific aftermath of 9/11, we were able to step in, up to a point, and help.

But not as effectively, clearly, or pointedly, this time. Instead, we join the rest of the world on the other side of the fence. We suffer with the stricken in their loss. We join international relief organizations, contributing as individuals, large and small companies, huge conglomerates … people just trying to help and do what we can.

The insurance industry has no real mandate, no template to help us determine our place, our responsibility to the stricken. All we have, collectively and individually as members of the human race, is our conscience. Across the board, across the country, and throughout the world we are responding, and will continue to rise to the occasion with contributions and other forms of humanitarian aid. And in the small pockets of insured loss, we will again do our part on an international level to alleviate the seemingly insurmountable suffering of those who are left behind to face the unimaginable – the rebuilding of lives, the re-establishment of an iota of the will to live, the re-creation of hope.

The Bible states that at the end of the world, the living will envy the dead. The end of the world is not here yet, at least not this very day. But many of our brothers on the other side of the world might just argue against that rationale. For them, their world has, indeed, ended. And getting them to once again see a bright light may take some doing!

Many of us prefer to believe that there really is a Supreme Being, a God, if you will. And maybe this is His or Her way of forcing us to see the light and help us reunite as brothers before it's too late. Well, it's a thought, anyway.

Special Reports /

What&#039;s Next? The Second Coming?

Related Stories

Recommended For You

What's Next? The Second Coming?