As I write this soon after Christmas but looking forward to the start of spring, I wonder what we look forward to. February often seems to be the month that I least look forward to as it frequently seems to be dull, cold and wet with Christmas and the New Year celebrations seemingly left a long way behind.
Yet this year seems different as I reflect on the cloud which has hung over us as the war continues in Ukraine even if the ceasefire holds in Gaza. Disasters such as this challenge our faith because we ask “Why do these disasters happen?”. Maybe that’s the wrong question to ask though as we are not God and cannot understand the reasons why. Instead, we are challenged as to how we demonstrate God’s love for us in the way we respond. How do we help the afflicted, comfort the bereaved, send healing to the injured and aid those who have lost their livelihoods and homes? And how long are we prepared to give aid to these countries as the rebuilding of infrastructure, economies and a safe environment for all people will take years. These are some of the challenges we face at this time.
There is also a challenge to faith as some people challenge any belief in a God who allows such tragedies to occur. However, I believe the expressions of love in the generous giving of time, money and material aid by so many people in response to the catastrophes have endorsed my faith in the God of love, who also weeps with us as Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus (John 11: 35).
Maybe sometimes we fear that the Christmas message lasts for too short a time but the gift of God in coming to live on this earth is for every day of the year, proving his love for all people. God’s presence alongside us, in the midst of human pain and despair, proves God’s love for us. Whilst an omnipotent God could have remained distant, he chose instead to be with us, helping us as we try to achieve greater human solidarity, and deeper compassion for one another in the face of disaster and war.
The lessons we can learn from this type of disaster challenge us again to ask how we can all work together, breaking down barriers to eliminate global poverty and displays of the incorrect use of power. This we can do through the grace of God. We have a lot to thank God for and I pray for his continued blessing on you all.