30/08/2026
This has been a week of tears.
In Nepal and Tibet, catastrophic floods have swept away lives, homes and communities. At Big Church Festival, a man lost his life, others were injured, and thousands witnessed scenes they will never forget.
Behind every statistic is a name. Behind every name is someone loved. Behind every loss is a story suddenly and painfully changed.
At times like this, words feel very small.
We naturally ask, “Why did God allow this?” I have no neat answer and deep suffering deserves more than easy answers.
We live in a world of miracle and mystery. We believe in the sovereignty of God, yet we do not always understand the ways of God. Faith is not having all the answers; sometimes faith is holding on to God when there are no answers.
Christian faith does not point us to a God who observes suffering from a safe distance. In Jesus, God stepped into our suffering, carried our sorrows and wept beside a grave. The Cross tells us God is with us in the darkness. The Resurrection assures us that darkness will not have the final word.
Today, we hold before God the bereaved, the injured, the missing, the traumatised and all around our world whose lives have been torn apart by tragedy.
An ancient prayer attributed to St Augustine gives us words when ours fail:
“Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep this night. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, calm the suffering, all for your love’s sake.”
Lord, hold those whose hearts are broken. Give strength for today, hope for tomorrow, and light for the darkness.
Amen.
