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Don't wait for disaster

26th December 2008

Well we are on the brink of some very exciting days, and at the same time there is so much mess all around the world. In my short life I don't think that I can recall seeing so much stuff going wrong. I mean think about it every time you turn on the news there seems to be something else happening. If it is not a financial meltdown then there is a terrorist attack happening somewhere. It would be easy enough to think that there world is stuffed.

But here is crazy thought disaster can sometimes be a wellspring of life. I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy right now but think about some of what happens after a disaster.

For example, recently in Brisbane we had some massive storms destroy entire suburbs. It was by every account devastating, yet through all this devastation everyone I have spoken to effected by the storm have found positives. I heard comments like ‘I met my neighbours for the first time' and ‘our whole street has got together it was the best sense of community.' Now under no circumstances am I trying to say that disaster is good, but why does it take a disaster for us to build community, or why does it take a disaster for us to realise what has been there all along?

I have been thinking about this in relation to our spiritual life and thinking why is it that it is in times of disaster we are at our closest to God. I don't know about you but is when all is stripped away I find myself relying on God for my every breath, for my motivation to keep on going for my way out. It seems strange in some ways that this is the case, I mean you would think that it is when things are going well for us that we should be close to God just like you would think that when things are going good is the time you should have your neighbours over for a BBQ. But why don't we?

Regardless of where you are at right now, in the middle of disaster or good times may you think about what is already around you, may you see the neighbours you have, may you see the God you have is waiting for you.

Simeon