Television screens everywhere have been tuned in to the rescue efforts in Chile.  People have been mesmerized by the individuals who have lived for 60 days underground, not knowing whether they would ever see the light of day.  It's not often that Chile makes the headlines but these circumstances are rare and extreme.  As the miners emerged, you could almost hear the heartbeat of that nation.  Thudding with hope and fear, expectation and excitement; the heart of the nation was beating solely for these men and their families.

Tragedy does that for a community or a nation.  Just like on September 11, Americans across the country and folks around the world held hands and held their breath.  In those moments the unity and fraternity that exists deep within is exposed and strengthened.  By why are those moments so fleeting?  In the weeks to come, the Chilean miners will return to "normal" life and the country will no longer be held together by this event. 

Business will go back to being about the bottom line, not the people.  Politics will go back to being about the power, not the people.  Religion will go back to being about the ritual, not the people.  And what will we have learned?  Unfortunately, not much.  Chances are if we learned our lesson, that life is about the people in it not the things or the programs, events, or opinions, then these difficult circumstances wouldn't be so amazing and awe-inspiring.  They would instead reflect our daily lives of caring about each other.