The centre of Beirut can be viewed through three different lenses.
First are the restored and recreated. From the aftermath of a destructive explosion that touched half the city at a cost estimated to be north of $15 billion, restored buildings, new structures, and a sense of possibilities have emerged.
Second, are the reminders. Much more subtle, it is the row of streetlights, some shattered, some as they were. It is the buildings that show how devastating a force can be. The stripped facades, bent framings, and hollow shells silently scream out in pain and anguish, reminding one of what was and what may never be again.
Third q43 the questions. For the community, there are reminders that the explosion was just one in a long line of destructive acts. The problems of corruption, lack of trust, and neglect have been around for a long time. A reality repeated across history continues to replay in this community; it is the people, especially the old and the young that pay the greatest price.
The choice that haunts me as I look through the three lenses is, what to save and what to toss. Life’s whisper leaves me with themes I take into today.
Let go of yesterday’s pain and angst to focus on hope. Looking back, “There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life.” (Romans 8.13)
Save what is important. I have come close to losing touch with my soul. I have vowed to never let this happen again. The reminders speak to the value of the human spirit and each soul. Never let these go, in a moment or across a lifetime.
Invest with confidence. Use what is important and infuse it with forgiveness, acceptance, and kindness. Divinity offers this unconditionally. Our yes to this gift is an act of investment that recreates and restores. It is a process of opening one’s heart to the Divine and in doing so becoming a divine gift to the community.
