As I write this blog, my heart goes to Japan devastated by 8.9 magnitude of earthquake that has triggered powerful tsunami and massive flooding. With natural disaster such as this, who do we blame. I could not but notice how vain material things are. In the face of this disaster no one struggled to get any material thing out except cling on to life. The mistake we sometimes make is to think that this will not or cannot happen to us. The many natural disasters we experience in the world are to give us warning and an opportunity to put our house in order.
Lent is precisely that time. It is a time for renewal and stocktaking so as to put our life in shape. Jesus urges us to live repentant lives. On the disaster that befell some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices Jesus said, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than every one else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did”, (Lk. 13:1-5). Lent affords us this great chance for repentance. Let us make use of it.
I pray for the Japanese who lost their lives through the devastating earthquake. I feel for those whom, Gadhafi has mascaraed in Libya simply because they seek to be freed from his tyrannical rule over them. But as we pray for them, let their suffering be a lesson for us. If we should die this night shall we be ready to meet our Lord?
This is a time when we are now seeing more disasters throughout the world, along with countries fighting and dying for their freedom from rulers who have been in power for numbers of years. Let us pray for these people who need to be free and liberated from rulers who keep them in poverty and pray for all those who have lost their lives in the recent diasters and the living who need help so desparately now since they have lost everything.
ReplyDelete