08/19/2021
A cloud of fear + suffering is settling over Haiti + Afghanistan.
People are losing their home + family.
People are bracing to lose their freedom.
People have lost their lives.
We don’t have the answers.
We won't pretend to understand the pain.
But we can weep, we can worship, we can respond.
When Jesus weeps, we see God’s heart.
During a week that infuriates, discourages, confuses, and maybe draws tears, the first + greatest truth is that we worship + follow a God that weeps with us. More precisely, a God that calls us to weep with him.
That same God is in control of those in control.
We don’t believe that God handpicks political leaders. We don’t believe God micromanages the courses of nations, armies, or human affairs. We elect presidents, we invade countries, we rebel + revolt + riot, we mistreat our neighbors.
But as much as we - collectively - might try to disrupt God’s plan, God is still making his kingdom a reality. No amount of political power, financial wealth, or social media influence will derail the coming of that kingdom. We’re not going to distract or dissuade God from building a kingdom of love and justice, from bringing peace on earth, or from restoring and redeeming all things. That is a truth we can cling to in times like these.
We worship a God who is in control.
We worship a God who weeps.
We worship a God who calls us to respond…
The most tangible + efficient way to help is by supporting trustworthy organizations who are established in these hurting communities. World Relief has the relationships + information necessary to help in tangible, effective ways. In the coming days, we can also partner with organizations caring for people who are being displaced and relocated closer to home.
But our best + first response must be to pray.
Father, you are good, loving, + powerful. We put our hope in you. We lift up the people in Haiti + Afghanistan. We recognize our ignorance, yet we hurt because there are people suffering. God, we ask that you provide for their physical needs: give them sustenance + shelter + safety. Where there is hunger, provide food. Where there is fear, provide comfort. Where there is oppression, provide freedom. Where there is injustice, provide your justice! Make yourself known, God. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
The Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 9:7-9
