January 18, 2006
When 'god' lets you down. A Magus' opinion.
From Fox News:
What Was Supposed to Be 'Like Another Christmas'
As rescue workers tried to get to the men, families waited at the Sago Baptist Church during an emotional two-day vigil.
Hatfield late Wednesday afternoon gave reporters a timeline of events to explain how the mixed messages — most likely derived from jubilant rescue and command center workers calling friends and relatives, officials believe — about the miners' fate could have been relayed to the church:
11:45 p.m. Tuesday: The mine rescue command center, comprised of 12 to 13 federal, state and mining company officials, received a report from the rescue teams that 12 of the 13 miners were alive.
12:18 a.m. Wednesday: The command center received a report that rescue team and survivors were leaving the base area of the mine. No formal statement was released by mine officials.
"We were aware that numerous cell-phone calls from a number of mine rescue workers and jubilant employees were made to family members and others," at this time, Hatfield said.
Families began streaming out of the church, yelling, "They're alive!" The church's bells began ringing and families embraced, as politicians proclaimed word of the apparent rescue a miracle.
"A person said, 'There are miracles — 12 alive and one dead!"' said John Casto, who was inside when the man he couldn't identify ran to the front of the church and made the proclamation. "They started clapping, hollering and shouting."
Several relatives, who danced and praised God as the church bells rang, said an unidentified mine foreman had called someone at the church on a cell phone to relay the information.
A few minutes later, Casto said, another man came to church and said squads cars would pick up the miners and bring them to the church where they would be reunited with their families. The man said "it would be like another Christmas," Casto said, chocking back tears.
Gov. Joe Manchin tried to find out for sure what was going on.
"By this time, the rafters were coming down, as you will, the bells were being rung, emotions were running so high. Finally we got the miracle we were looking for," Machin told FOX News about the seemingly good news.
Though Manchin announced to those in the church there were 12 survivors after getting confirmation from the command center, he later said he was uncertain about the news.
12:30 a.m. Wednesday: Rescue teams were nearly out of the mine breathing fresh air. It was then that the command center was informed that there was only one survivor and no vital signs were seen in the other 11.
1:20 a.m. Wednesday: Mine rescue teams and the one confirmed survivor reached the surface and the unidentified survivor was sent to the hospital.
1:38 a.m. Wednesday: Four more rescue teams are dispatched to confirm the deaths or provide urgent medical care to any who may be alive but in a comatose state because of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Where was their god then when they sang of his miracles? Where was he when they prayed for the safe return of their loved ones? Where was their god when the miners sat and prayed to live? Where is the irony? I see it all too well here.
Were they Epical, perhaps they might have had a metaphysical fighting chance. Maybe they would have been open to the gut feeling to not go into work that day. Maybe the townsfolk would have been more proactive. Maybe they would have been able to collectively alter a few probable outcomes. Maybe they shouldn't have put all their faith into an absentee landlord.
Even in the wake of the tragedy, they may have been able to have coped with it better...in an Epical sense.
Whose god has egg on his face now?
Be Epical, and you may know greater satisfaction. Be Epical and you may take your life into your OWN hands. Be Epical and you may come to touch the greater mysteries of existential life.
Posted by at 06:45 PM | Comments (0)
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