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Eye on the World: facing down floodwaters
Last week, continuous heavy rains swelled rivers in central Europe, leading to thousands of evacuations as floodwaters threatened cities and towns in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Hungary. The rivers’ rise slowed by the weekend, but on Monday the Elbe River burst through a dam in eastern Germany, prompting the evacuation of 10 more villages and the closure of bridges and railways. Soldiers and volunteers worked around the clock to build sandbag walls to protect electrical stations and other infrastructure.
Even if we aren’t in a position to fill sandbags or otherwise aid those in central Europe, we can respond to news of flooding through prayer. Prayer isn’t a passive response, or a vague hope that conditions will improve — it’s the effective insistence that God is on the scene, guiding and guarding everyone involved!
“A mighty help for European flood victims” provides a useful starting place for prayer, reminding us that God’s love isn’t an abstraction; it’s a “very present help” (Psalms 46:1) to those affected by the flooding. Our prayerful conviction that God is ministering to those in need, does much to bring peace and protection to troubled areas.
In “The signs of the times,” the author argues that Biblical promises of God’s protection aren’t meant to be metaphorical — they’re real assurances that we’ll find safety and energy as we listen for His direction. And our prayers to overcome the fear and confusion that would try to cloud public thinking are much needed. She adds, “It’s the overwhelming flood of fear and hopelessness that needs healing if we’re to halt the floods of water.”
“From extremes to a world in balance” approaches the issue from a different angle. When we’re confronted with a scene of imbalance — such as too much water in some places, and not enough in others — we can humbly seek to see that God holds His creation in perfect equilibrium. The article explains, “Christian Science promises that as we build our own arks of spiritual enlightenment, we can battle the floods—the temptations to give up or give in because everything is inundating us with evidence that things are surely beyond God’s control.”
As we pray about flooding in Europe, as with any threat to public safety, we can affirm that geography isn’t a factor to God — through the Christ, He constantly communicates messages that protect people and property, prevent loss, comfort grief, and ensure the lessening of such disasters in the future.