From the Regional Director of Oceania
There is a heaviness over the earth. The people are suffering in Ukraine. Rain is again bucketing down on New South Wales. COVID, in its variants, continues to lock us out and affect people’s jobs and lives.
We cannot deny the impact all this suffering has upon even those who are not in the middle of these crises. A win in the cricket or our football team doing well lifts our spirits for a while but not for long. What do we do? What is the best way to handle this dull cloud over our days? These questions gnaw at the edge of our consciousness.
One of the first rules seems to be, “Don’t deny the pain we feel.” This is easily said but not easily put into effect. However, most of us know that going into denial is not the answer. We may feel numb from shock for a while, but eventually, the trauma has to be shared and addressed if it is not to leave a permanent wound in us.
Another bit of wisdom that helps is if we can see some purpose in the pain. If I am in pain because of hard work which will help my family, then I am prepared to pay the cost. There is an answer to the question, “Why? Why suffer like this? “ When we see people being killed in the war when we see people starving in various countries, there is no answer to the “Why?” question.
A common response across the world is to look to God and ask God, “Why?” We usually have a bit more to add. There are often stern words said to God after that. We believe God listens to our prayers, but we have to wait and see what he does next. It requires faith on our part to believe that what God does is for the better.
We believe that God creates the world. The Spirit continues to hover over the abyss as the first verse of the Bible says. God divides the water in two so that there is earth and sea. Order is being brought forth by the Word of God.
Then even when there is a big flood Noah and his family and all the animals get to see the rainbow. At the same time, God says that the world is safe from destruction from now on. “Anytime you see the rainbow remember my promise to you. So, bushfires, floods, all the effects of climate change will have their impact, but the destruction of the planet is not my future for you.” To believe this may seem naïve, but God did say that we, along with the planet, would be safe. God says, “I have established a covenant between myself and all living things on earth”.
This means that when we try to stop the flooding or when we try to stop the effects of climate change, we are being used by God to fulfil the covenant promise. So often, we talk about the floods and the Murray-Darling basin in economic or political terms, but do we stop and think about it theologically. Do we contemplate these issues and see the hand of God at work?
Do we listen to the cry of the earth with the same empathy as does our compassionate God? As we see the destruction of war and we feel so sad and horrified, do we realise that God is feeling the same as we do? Our desire for peace is the same as that of our loving God. Our desire for a better world is a participation in God’s mission for all his creatures including each and every one of us.
Let us pray for each other that we may grow in our self-understanding. We are a blessed people living and moving in a God who is dedicated to saving our world and all the sons and daughters of God. Even though life seems dull and overcast now, this understanding of who we are individually and together is always true and beautiful.
Fr Trevor Trotter
Regional Director of Oceania
rdoceania@columban.org.au
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
