The catastrophic storms occurring on the east coast and gulf shores are nothing short of annihilation incarnate. Hearing from a clergy person in North Carolina, the devastation to their churches is manifold; it took a week just to account for every clergy person in the diocese. They still haven’t been able to locate all their parishioners. The death toll rises with the water from Helene and now Milton seeks to show its worth, namely in being one of the largest storms in recorded history. Moment after moment stacks up to resemble a mimicry of Job’s trials on an entire population.
How long O Lord might be the mantra of some, yet I imagine the faithful are—while not smiling—waking with faith as their guide. God doesn’t cause hurricanes, God doesn’t kill our friends, and God won’t ever abandon us. No matter how much it may feel like those may be the case given the current circumstances…
It is in these times, walking in the valley of the shadow of death, that we need reminding of the call to fear no evil. We must remember that God is with us, whether that be beside still waters or raging currents. The torrential downpour of natural disaster replicates inside us as our hearts grieve the loss of life and dreams. Of friends and family. Of better days. Disaster strikes in blitzkrieg form as lightning touches the earth and singes our surroundings, yet our souls remain untarnished due to the divine spark provided by our and nature’s creator. That life-giving energy sustains us and shields us allowing joy to be sought in the storm.
I do not know if life has always been this difficult. Perhaps as I age, I see more clearly rather than through a glass darkly. But it doesn’t matter. This is the life we live, here, today. It is the gift given to us by God who continues override nature’s currents with His own deluge of grace. We just have to see it; we must be willing to cry out in the wilderness of our momentary desperation with the words of praise and request for respite rather than the curses of faithlessness.
Keep praying. Pray for the families affected by the storms. Pray for those here at home affected by loss. Pray for the caregiver who needs care themselves. Pray for the lonely who search every day for a kind word or a gentle touch. Pray for the bereaved. Pray for the Church to be the Church and then remember that you—and I—are part of it. We pray. Then we act.
Call someone today; you never know when phones won’t work anymore. Text someone a word of encouragement; you never know when you’ll have the chance to again. Write a letter that someone can keep forever; our time is also limited. Open your lips, let your mouth proclaim God’s praise, and be the heralds of faith and fortitude rather than the harbingers of woe and pity. We must stand mighty in this stormy season my friends, whether those be the storms miles away or the ones churning in our own hearts. For God is with us.
God is with us.
Faithfully,
Fr. Sean+