Tsunami
Over 50,000 dead and rising. Whole communities have been wiped out. I can’t comprehend these figures. It is truly horrendous. Who will remember these people and their contribution to the world if all their neighbours, relatives, workmates, customers etc are dead? They all had stories to tell, but who will pass them on? How do you rebuild your life when absolutely everything has been washed away? …

"As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children…"

(Psalm 103:15-17)

…Tonight I came across a statistic from the Child Health site that every week 200,000 children die of preventable diseases. It kind of puts things into perspective. It doesn’t belittle what has happened in South East Asia, but it’s just a reminder that we need to be constantly seeking to meet the needs of the poor, not just when the latest disaster hits our screens.

"…If you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
…
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings…"
Isaiah 58:10-12