11.3.11

prayer



Last night I was talking with Michelle about how we use twitter to get news. Then late last night, God knows why (or perhaps, He does), I found myself going through my photos that I took on my phone in Palm Beach, of waves.

What I am trying to say is, I had made this image, and countless variations of 'wave' images late into the night last night. Before it happened. I even called the series 'wave'.

The same thing happened to me before the last tsunami. I woke and was up all night, and I didn't know why, and when I slept, I dreamt of waves. I don't know why I seem to tap into these events, but it doesn't matter. I was working on catwalk photos when I saw the tweets, and I am following this live on the BBC, and everything else I was doing, all the things that had seemed to matter a few minutes ago.. they can wait.

My post today is a prayer for the lives and safety of the people and the animals and the plants and the homes and for all that matters, for the souls of the people in Japan. And wherever else this might go.

Praying for everyone's safety. I can feel the humanity in the world. I can feel our collective prayers.

15 comments:

Shopgirl said...

You always capture the exact essence of a situation and reflect the exact way I am feeling with your words – but you are always more articulate than I could ever hope to be. Thank you for this post, Jill. I too will be spending much of today following the coverage and keeping the people of Japan in my thoughts.

Selina said...

I love reading your blog because you're not afraid to post your thoughts. This is such a comforting entry and you're right, nothing seem as important as saying a prayer for Japan right now.

thank you.

San said...

I just learned about this quake from you. And I just hope for Japan and all of the people living there.

ql said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ginta said...

I'm with you! I pray that not only my friends but actually all people in Japan are safe!

the nyanzi report said...

Does Prayer Work? Or should the question be - does God Answer Prayers? What do you think?

Imagine yourself in a room full of, say one hundred people, they all come to you with requests, would you say yes to all of them? I think the key lies right there. Wouldn't you agree?

jill said...

This is so moving.. your responses coming in while I work with the laptop following the BBC live streaming. I'm moved to tears with how incredible people are.

David (Nyanzi) that is the kind of questioning my parents, especially my late father, encouraged all our lives. He was a professor (science education - for children) and encouraged us to question EVERYTHING. And we also knew we were raised in a mixture of religions - and didn't practice any of them. So I had a lot of curiosity on how he felt on 'the God issue' and his feelings were along the lines of 'try to be a good person in this life, then you won't have to worry about redemption later on'.

That is such a good question but I like to think that God (or, the Goddess: I'm not sure he is necessarily one gender or the other) is smart enough to be able to distinguish between, say, 'wish lists' and true prayers.

I'd say if all one hundred people in the room are praying for the same thing, and he didn't listen to any of them.. then shame on him. Or her.

This is an enormous force BUT the thing about Japan is - as the BBC reporter is saying exactly now - the buildings are designed to have give for earthquakes, to stand up to it. And hopefully the people on the coastline will have time to move. What happened last time came without warning, so much as on the coastline.. hopefully there won't be people sunbathing on the beach or in small, low lying homes, and caught unawares.

Does Prayer Work? Does God answer prayers? Let's find out. Let's let Him surprise us this time.

adrielleroyale said...

I also didn't know about this - I don't typically watch the news.. this is such a beautiful post Jill, and I appreciate your ability and desire to use this blog for more than it's namesake. My prayers will go out for the people and animals today. Thanks again...

Anonymous said...

Amen! The images break my heart! All the people in Japan and the surrounding areas are in my thoughts and prayers. Take care xxx

Ana Frost said...

...everyone's safety...also my little prayer dear Jill.
Be fine, xxx

mtg said...

Thank you, Jill, for this post. The news is overwhelming....
Maybe it's a Virgo thing (the premonition thing)?? The night before 9/11 I had a strangest dream. I was driving to downtown to work on Interstate and the other side of it (the opposite lane) was all in ashes... burnt down cars for miles and miles, as far as you could see...
I did not think anything of my dream, by then got to work that morning and 9/11 happened... I still can't watch the footage of some of those events, it makes me too upset.
All we can do is pray now.... for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

daisychain said...

In my prayers.

For some reason I'm having a hard time believing it's real. Natural disasters really get to me.

Wishing safeness to anyone affected.

Veshoevius said...

It's horrific, absolutely horrific - I've been watching the news all day and the footage is unbelievable - have to say I've little appetite for fashion news in the face of such devastation - I'm hoping none of my Japanese friends or their loved ones are affected.

Casee Marie said...

You summed everything up in this post, though I'm sorry for the circumstances that lead to its being written. Just the same, well done and thank you for giving voice to your feelings.

Little Miss Curious said...

I love reading your blog because you somehow manage to wrap fashion with many other beautiful things.

My prayers are also with those in Japan and many others that are affected by this horrible calamity.

Do you suppose our spirits travel while we sleep and that is why we see some things before it happens - deja vu?