Love and Disaster
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Psalm 77
1. I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. 2. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. 3. I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. [Selah] 4. Thou dost hold my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5. I consider the days of old, I remember the years long ago. 6. I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit: 7. "Will the Lord spurn for ever, and never again be favorable? 8. Has his steadfast love for ever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? 9. Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" [Selah] 10. And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed." 11. I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; yea, I will remember thy wonders of old. 12. I will meditate on all thy work, and muse on thy mighty deeds. 13. Thy way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? 14. Thou art the God who workest wonders, who hast manifested thy might among the peoples. 15. Thou didst with thy arm redeem thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah] 16. When the waters saw thee, O God, when the waters saw thee, they were afraid, yea, the deep trembled. 17. The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; thy arrows flashed on every side. 18. The crash of thy thunder was in the whirlwind; thy lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook. 19. Thy way was through the sea, thy path through the great waters; yet thy footprints were unseen. 20. Thou didst lead thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
What can possibly be said about the situation in the Gulf Coast states? I notice that literally nothing else has been reported on the news -- next to nothing. I have not heard an update on the situation in Iraq. I don’t know the latest development in the Holloway case in Aruba. I couldn’t even begin to comment on the state of Niger. I found myself sobbing last night as individuals reported on their plight because of Katrina. Sobbing. I can’t even really think of what or how to pray!
When disasters of that proportion take place, we struggle in our faith and we feel so small and powerless and helpless. Earlier this morning I thought, “There is nothing I can say today, because I am overcome with a multitude of emotions and thoughts." And then I remembered that is exactly when we need to pray. We need to pray the prayers of faithful, saved, beloved children of God. It’s okay to tell God that we don’t understand how terrible, huge disasters can be allowed to happen. And we can tell him that we are angry and afraid because for but “luck” that could be us.
And as I type, I find myself pondering this: Why aren’t we horrified when a single person, or a single family losses everything they own--home, job, vehicle, perhaps a family member? We may feel sad for them in passing . . . but are we “reduced” to prayer for them? Do we begin to think that maybe a family could come to live with us for a few months till they get back on their feet and begin to build a new life?! I’m not going to get preachy or begin to talk about anyone else’s short-sightedness or self-involvement. I wrote that book in many ways!
My words will be few this morning as I invite you, bid you, urge you to join me in focusing not upon the magnitude of the disaster and the multitude of the suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. I find that this morning, as I am nearly overcome with desperation and despair on behalf of those in the path of Katrina, that I must simply offer all of it up the God who created hurricanes and floods and sunrises and daffodils.
My prayer is for all of God’s hurting world this day, however that hurt may be manifested. And I urge you not to lose hope or faith as you seek to resolve this difficult paradox of God’s love and the earth’s disasters.
Mary
