‘Such a tragic loss begs the question, where is our security? Jesus himself didn’t have a house throughout his three years of ministry. If security lies in bricks and mortar alone, we are as foolish as the man in Jesus’ parable whose metaphorical house fell flat when the storms of life hit it,’ says author, Jenny Sanders.
The all consuming fires that ripped though Los Angeles last week have left what journalists and residents alike are calling, ‘apocalyptic’ landscapes. International firefighters have joined the forces battling to extinguish the flames. On Monday, the death toll stood at twenty-four; thousands of buildings have been destroyed and tens of thousands evacuated. Many have watched their homes, where they so recently celebrated Christmas, burn to the ground.
The computer generated maps of the Palisades area – just one of five where the fires burnt – shows more than 20,000 acres superimposed on maps of both New York and London indicating the scale of this disaster which stretches approximately 14-15km from east to west and 6-7km both to south at it’s widest points.
Is there a correlation between global disasters and the hand of God?
Journalists have been forced to run mid-report as the unrelenting smoke threatens them. Residents have recorded harrowing videos of themselves escaping from their homes carrying what ever is most precious to them: family, pets and paperwork. Now they pick through the ash searching for anything that’s survived. One man was pictured holding a single plate and bowl – the poignant remains of a wedding present from his great-aunt.
I predict that we’ll be hearing words like ‘unprecedented’ for some time.
Californian insurance companies are predicted to face over $250billion in claims which may tip some of them into insolvency. I predict that we’ll be hearing words like ‘unprecedented’ for some time. Later, investigators will discover the cause of the fires; right now we’re vicariously sharing the utter heartbreak and the undoubted trauma of those who’ve lost their home.
Perhaps we’re more engaged with this crisis because it’s affected not faceless populations but individual celebrities whose names we know, whose faces are familiar to us: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Jennifer Gray, Miles Teller, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ricki Lake, Rebel Wilson and Paris Hilton have all had homes destroyed. It doesn’t matter that they may have more than one home, or that they may be fortunate enough that their wealth could allow them to purchase another one. The fires have stolen what’s dear to them including their security; taken what was familiar and comfortable and, right now, they are in shock.
Am I a bad Christian if I have anxiety?
In 2016 I wrote a blog piece entitled, The Long Way Home which, as my life became more nomadic, found me pondering what home really is. One of my conclusions was that home ‘has far more to do with people than with geography.’ Ideally it’s a place that represents ‘the cure for devastating loneliness, the antidote to the strain of trying to live up to oppressive expectations, and the elixir of life and laughter that revives all spectrums of disappointment and despair.’ No wonder people are shattered. Whatever our home looks like, it’s our refuge, our sanctuary, our safe place.
Such a tragic loss begs the question, where is our security?
Such a tragic loss begs the question, where is our security? Jesus himself didn’t have a house throughout his three years of ministry. If security lies in bricks and mortar alone, we are as foolish as the man in Jesus’ parable whose metaphorical house fell flat when the storms of life hit it (see Matthew 7:24-27).
No matter how bad the headlines get, in the news or in our lives, we’re called to pray
Fear of the future, of ill health, of financial collapse, material loss or the fragmentation of relationships shatters our internal peace. It can leave us tormented by anxieties which, if left unattended, can all too quickly morph into paralysing fear. What is the solution? The opposite of fear is faith. Not pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, or mind-over-matter, but consecutive cold-blooded decisions to choose to trust in the faithfulness of God even when things are bleak. King David said that when he was afraid (note: when, not if), he would put his trust in God (Psalm 56:3). Simple, but far from easy.
The Bible says that ‘faith comes by hearing’ – not the latest news bulletin or social media buzz, but hearing ‘the Word of God’ (Romans 10:17 KJV). We need to not only hear God’s words but allow them to become a reality so that we can face each day with courage, knowing that he is with us, holding us safely in the palm of his hand, regardless of that the day brings. Even if we lose everything, we cannot lose him and he will never lose us.
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