Since last Friday morning we have watched and listened to the radio and television news reports coming out of Japan describing the incredible natural disasters of a 9.0 Richter Scale earthquake, apparently the fourth largest in recorded history, followed by a tsunami sweeping miles inland with a wall of water up to 30 feet or more in height multiplying the damage and loss of life to an as yet unknown dimension. As if these two events were not enough, the collateral damage has caused the apparent destruct of three nuclear power generation plants and danger to a fourth. There is the very real possibility of a core meltdown and the release of dangerous radiation into the atmosphere.

The Japanese island of Honshu, where these disasters occurred, has a climate similar to ours, so the winter weather is compounding the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people as this situation unfolds. The economic impact is beyond estimation at this point, but we do know that in excess of 100,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged, thousands are dead and thousands more are injured and the Japanese stock market is in free fall. Normal life is a long journey away for a large area of Japan.

Besides the normal empathy we feel for our fellow human beings, a disaster as has befallen Japan should force us to all get real about our own situation. We all can appreciate that everything is relative, but let’s think about this. Japan is among the most developed nations in the world. Almost the entire nation and its economic infrastructure have been rebuilt from the ashes of World War II. They are a leader in engineering and technology and have a highly educated and disciplined population. Their economy is third largest in the world. Yet, in the blink of an eye, it all changed.  Lifetimes of hard work and material gain disappeared in minutes, livelihoods vanished. Cultural icons disappeared forever. Families and friends were torn apart. In relative terms it makes our own situation look pretty good doesn’t it?

Disasters such as the one in Japan give us the rare opportunity to take stock of how good we have it. They give us an opportunity to re-evaluate life priorities, ambitions and values. It may be a good time to take stock of what is really important in our lives; material things vs. emotional well being; selfish interests vs. family and community; for believers, a time to reconnect with spiritual values. To use a now shopworn term, this is a “teachable moment.” We probably shouldn’t waste it.

Japan will rebuild. Its trading partners will help it do so. Its economy is basically sound. It will be interesting to see if there is a catharsis from the legendary Japanese work ethic to a new view that prioritizes time with family and loved ones, at least on a par with career advancement.