[Francis submitted his article on 17 May - John]

Just when the whole nation was still basking in the joyous Olympics sentiment, fate struck a blow which literally brought the country to a standstill.

Only a week ago we were lamenting over conditions in Thailand and Myanmar. No one could have imagined China would be the next victim.

Some might remember or heard about the Tangshan earthquake more than 30 years ago. Since then a lot of work has gone to detecting potential quakes and tremors and moving people away from epicenters. But disasters usually come without any warnings, and it's always too late when we realize them. I remember some members got very emotional at the meeting shortly after the 911 terrorist attack as they had friends or relatives there. The tsunami a few years ago on Christmas Eve swept away tens of thousands of lives, leaving even many more in dire straits. And of course we all remember SARS, H5N1, avian flu and other viruses of a more obscure nature.

But none of these can compare with the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan this Monday. Official estimates have put the toll figure at around 20,000, but unofficially it might as well go beyond 50,000, and most believe the size of casualties and the impact of the catastrophe would only be realized in retrospect, or will never be known.

Rotarians never need to be reminded that people, including many children, are dying, And for those lucky enough to be rescued, life would not be the same again. Many have lost their loved ones and relatives, and many more have become orphans without any means to survive. And there are also the imminent danger of virus outbreaks and lack of medical supplies, food, and clean water.

Incidentally Rotary has put clean water on its agenda this year, and over the years, the campaign for clean water must have saved millions of lives worldwide.

Grim pictures and news footage in the media these few days would be enough to soften any souls. What could be more heart wrenching when you watch them screaming out the names of relatives, and what could be more touching when we heard the teacher who lost her life to save students in her charge.

Stories like these will continue to flood our media. There probably will also be marathon fundraisings from television stations with singers out in force. Some are literally jumping on the charity bandwagon to stake a claim. Many were momentarily relieved when Premier Wen Jiabao coaxed the little girl who had just lost her parents, and promised the world they would be taken good care of.

Was it God's destiny, or are there scientific explanations for the disaster? Sometimes we might just wonder. There is no shortage of experts of various disciplines for the postmortem.

As we celebrate our club anniversary this evening, may our hearts also go to the those who suffer in silence.