Is There Hope Not Just for Haiti, But the World?

As I sit here watching the Hope For Haiti telethon, I'm hit with the same emotions I was when I first heard about the earthquake. I was at work when I received a text alert about the earthquake from CNN, and for the rest of the day and night I was glued to my computer and CNN.com, checking back for the latest updates, watching videos and looking at pictures of the devastation.

But ever since–and I don't consider myself particularly political, but I am a thinker and a "wonderer"–there's a thought that keeps creeping into my mind. I see all of these celebrities, read about all of these big donations, hear about my friends and even myself donating money to help...and I can't help but wonder, where is all of this generosity, these funds, this compassion, during any other time? Does it take a devastating natural disaster to open our eyes to people in need? What about the millions of people in the world who are dehydrated, starving, homeless, and orphaned every day?