Lord Krishna in the 21st Century
Chapter 16 - The Cast of Actors
I want to point out how each of the individual members of NVOAD specialize in providing a specific form of assistance during disasters. For instance, the Seventh Day Adventist have committed their nationwide membership to sorting and distributing the mountains of clothing, donated by concerned Americans. This sorting might take place in a high school gym and Seventh Day Adventist from all over will arrive to help out.
Other groups help the blind. Some assist with animal rescue and relocation. REACT provides emergency communications and the Civil Air Patrol uses their members and their small airplanes for various needs. Together, working as a large and diverse team, these volunteers rush to the rescue.
But what about water? Why am I suggesting that we should begin by providing water? At first glance, this might even seem a bit odd. Well, there are several reasons. The first is the enormous need for drinking water that relief workers often encounter; amazingly, even during floods. In fact, I remember reading about this when the great Mississippi River flooded years ago. All that water but not a drop to drink. Ironic but true.
Actually, more than once I have heard about this critical shortage. Just yesterday (again, I wrote this book many years ago), on FOX News the reporter was commenting on this very problem in Europe where, for the past week, flooding hag taken on Biblical proportions. Indeed, the lack of drinking water seems to follow every disaster. Massive flooding inundates and knocks out water treatment plants. The electricity to run the pumps to purify and deliver water is wiped out. Water becomes contaminated. Krishna Disaster Relief could begin performing this service without too much difficulty.
Besides bringing needed relief in the form of safe drinking water, there are other reasons why I see this as a good starting place for Krishna Disaster Relief. One is that this is a fairly simple thing to provide. Only a small number of volunteers would be needed; far less complicated than trying to put a mobile kitchen on the road. As a former head cook and FFL manager in Denver, I am well aware of the enormous chore involved in keeping up with the maintenance, cleanliness, and other aspects of running a kitchen; mobile or otherwise. By providing just water, you can easily sense the simplicity. And water can also be offered and served as prasadam. Water bottles could procured that had our logo printed on them.
Furthermore, the initial cost of providing drinking water would certainly be far less than putting together a mobile pizza kitchen. These mobile units can easily cost over a $100,000 each. Remarkably, the Salvation Army deploys hundreds of these expensive units. More on this later.
Like I said in an earlier chapter, quality rather than quantity is what counts here. In the same way that the Mennonites (Church of the Brethren) are not going to rebuild every house damaged by a massive hurricane, neither should anyone think that somehow we are going to provide drinking water for an entire city. This is not the point or our goal. NVOAD is only looking for a sincere effort from their members. Besides, the real object is to show the world Shrila Prabhupada's all-merciful Krishna, who is the Greatest Hero. The goal is to make the entire world fall in love with Krsna: everyone loves a hero. Our goal is to awaken a heartfelt "appreciation" for Krshna and His devotees, made possible thru our love and kindness toward those suffering during a disaster.
By providing drinking water and joining NVOAD, Krishna Disaster Relief will receive a "stage pass" onto the most powerful preaching platform on the face of this earth.
As I have said, disasters are given top priority in the news. Major news outlets are all equipped with mobile television studios full of broadcasting equipment. With great competition they strive to provide the world with the first, live coverage of the unfolding events, including news segments on the various "players."
"God is the Greatest Hero - Everyone loves a hero.” Heroes rush to the rescue. For example, take the next fifty or 100 years; what will the world's appreciation of Lord Krshna and His devotees be, if at every major disaster they see Krishna Disaster Relief coming to the rescue? What would happen to people's appreciation for Lord Krsna? How many disasters will occur during a person's lifetime? What if from day-one they saw and read about Krishna Disaster Relief and His devotees coming to the rescue? Will those people appreciate Lord Krshna? Multiply this by billions of people, the world over, and the enormous power of showing Lord Krshna as He is: "the Greatest Hero," becomes plain to see.
"Let us try to make them Krishna conscious. That is our only interest. Because I love Krishna, I want to see all—everybody in the world to become Krishna conscious."
Photo is generated by the author using Leonardo Ai