Motivated to pray for Chile
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
When I was a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Africa, I was often awed by the beauty of the mountains and plains, deserts and river valleys, and field upon field of corn or beans. At times I also found the need to seek solace in prayer as these same locations faced floods, droughts, and pest infestation. The village I lived in had some pretty severe winds coming off a nearby lake. One night the winds actually tore the roof off the house next to mine. Through turning to God in prayer, I was able to find a sense of assurance that my home, my community, and I would remain safe. It’s this same motivation to see evidence of God’s care that motivates me as I pray for Chile.
With media reports still talking about recovery from the earthquake in Haiti and now these stories breaking about Chile’s earthquake, it might be tempting to wonder if there is a pattern, or some great cause, maybe even some involvement by God. In the book of Genesis in the Bible, God is presented as telling Adam that "cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Gen 3:17 ) because of Adam's mistake in eating the forbidden fruit. After an earthquake, one might wonder if it was meant to be a type of destructive “curse” on an otherwise wonderful earth; one that supplies us with food, energy, and resources. But I don’t believe that’s possible.
Apart from verses like those in the third chapter of Genesis, many writers in the Bible speak with the overriding theme of hope and trust that God is not behind destruction. Instead, God is constantly taking care of His children and will continue to do so during difficult times. We can take comfort in the verse from Psalms that describes how God "sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalms 107:20 ). Not only did God heal people of their afflictions, many times they were rescued from the door of death.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul provides some guidance on this consideration in the 8th chapter of his letter to the Philippians. He writes to the church community in Philippi and advises them to think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, “of good report,” and of virtue. He promises that if they do these things that "the God of peace shall be with you" (see Phil 4:8, 9 ). If the God of peace is with us, and good takes the upper hand in our consciousness, there is also hope.
At times of disaster I feel it’s important to be grateful for all the good that God has provided so that we can respond in the most constructive and helpful way with the resources we have access to. For example, after the Haiti earthquake, the use of technology was a blessing, making it possible for a large amount of donations to be received very quickly. We can keep up those efforts for Chile.
There are many capable organizations that are very quick to assist with fundraising, food distribution, and reconstruction after a calamity. But there are also spiritual and emotional needs that have to be met. People may have lost loved ones, and they may have lost a sense of security, comfort, and trust. They may also have developed feelings of fear, anger, remorse, and grief.
I’m discovering that the remedy lies in going back to God’s Word, and to His message of love, the healing and redeeming Christ (see John 1:14 ). Welcoming the Christ into our lives can be so helpful for those seeking to find peace, well-being, hope, and renewal. There is a hymn that beautifully describes the Christ touching those in need:
He stood of old, the holy Christ,
Amid the suffering throng,
With whom his lightest touch sufficed
To make the weakest strong.
Christian Science Hymnal, 96
Christ is amidst the "suffering throng" in Chile right now. And we can know that the touch of the Christ is sufficient to lift those up out of suffering and move them toward renewal. Thinking on those things that are true to God’s loving nature, we can trust that all involved in the rescue and reconstruction will move forward in the best way possible.
By aligning our own thought with what is Godlike and pure, we can be protected from accepting that there is any need for humanity to suffer from a “curse.”