Article April 16, 2007 Issue

WHEN WILL THE RAIN COME?

ABIGAIL MACKAY

THAT QUESTION has been on the minds of Australians for many weeks and months. We've been experiencing severe drought for an extended period, and many areas are bound by stringent water restrictions. My own area, Melbourne, is now on stringent Stage 3 restrictions, and it's been sobering to be permitted to water your garden only a few hours on two days of the week.

Farmers are among the hardest hit, being dependent on crops for their livelihood. But consumers are also feeling knocked by escalating food prices. For so many, rain is seen as synonymous with the general welfare, with a better and healthier life, and necessary productivity.

When praying about this crisis, I've found it enlightening to consider the many Bible examples of abundance replacing severe want. Whether the human need was water, food, or income, when people turned to God as the source of all life, the need was supplied. When, for example, Christ Jesus fed 5,000 people who had only five loaves and two fish among them, these items were multiplied to the extent that 12 baskets of bread and fish were left over after they had all eaten (see Matt. 14:15–21). Jesus commanded that even the fragments be collected and not wasted—apparently he knew better than to take this manifestation of divine care for granted, understanding that God, who is Life eternal, had multiplied the fish and loaves to meet the people's need. For Jesus, this was not a miraculous thing, but a natural blessing that came out of divine Love's care for the human family.