Current Events
Where Are We Safe?
PARDEEP SINGH NAGRA
Where are we safe?
One would think that a school is a safe place to be … but not for the children in Newtown.
One would think that work is a safe place to be … but not for the teachers, principal, or staff in Sandy Hook School.
One would think that home is a safe place to be … but not for the mother in Newtown.
One would think that the shopping mall is a safe place to be … but not for the shoppers in an Oregon Mall.
One would think that the movies is a safe place to be … but not for viewers in Aurora, Colorado.
One would think that a subway station is a safe place to be … but not for a passenger in New York.
One would think that a restaurant is a safe place to be … but not for patrons at Luby's in Killeen, Texas.
One would think that a university is a safe place to be … but not for the students at Virginia Tech.
One would think that a place of worship is a safe place to be … but not for the worshipers at the Gurdwara in Wisconsin.
One would think that a beach is a safe place to be … but not for residents of New Orleans, Florida, or the East Coast.
Only to realize that all these notions of safety are very superficial. Whether at the hands of a fellow human or nature itself.
At times like this, we turn to Bhai Gurdas’s words:
“Surrender to the One because He is the safest shelter.”
December 16, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Harinder (Uttar Pradesh, India), December 16, 2012, 9:36 AM.
Absolute safety is a myth. It only exists in the house of God or in a utopian land. Life is full of hazards.
2: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, USA), December 18, 2012, 1:50 PM.
So simple, but so true. Beautifully conveyed, short and simple. Thank you, Pardeep Singh.