A severe aftershock in Haiti this morning.  What more can happen?  I have heard that the PBS New Hour had a report-- one day before the earthquake --  on how much institutional progress Haiti had been making.  And now.  .  .

But actually, I am cautiously optimistic about the way that aid seems to be getting to that country.  I base my optimism on the recollection of a meeting I attended several years ago, a gathering of clergy and other county leaders to talk about Westchester emergency readiness.  The Red Cross presenters told us that we needed to have stocks of water, food, and medicine in each of our local communities because, in the case of a major disaster, it would take three days for external aid to reach Westchester County.  THREE DAYS to get aid into Westchester?  On that scale, the world community is doing farily well in Haiti.  A collestion last Sunday netted several hundred dollars for the UU Service Committee's work there.  I've also sent personal contributions to the UUSC and to the Red Cross.  I hope you have done something like that as well.

Much in my mind also today are the two deaths that that have occurred in the congregation since the first of the year:  Bob Rogers, after a long battle with ALS, and Cynthia Ryan, after a long battle (at a young age) with cancer.  Both lived their lives well and happily as long as they could.  Both had large and loving families around them in sickness and in health, and I think both had adequate health care.  But still there's an ache in my soul.  Why are suffering and death so present in this beautiful world?