Have Mercy on Us and on the Whole World

Wind, rain, fire and flooding. What a night! What a sight to wake up to downed trees, wires, branches, crushed sheds, porches, cars and keepsakes! We are victims of relentless natural forces beyond our control. We now face the enormous task of cleaning up, repairing, and of incalculable unplanned expenditures from an already reduced source of revenue. But, thank God we are alive! These local challenges offered to us by Mother Nature pale in comparison to what the people of Port-au-Prince are undergoing, but they give us a taste, albeit a mild one, of inconvenience and the need to accept and adapt. These "outward signs" can also be looked upon as visible evidence of the darkness, shadows, yes, sinfulness, that each one of us is subject to as part of the human condition. As damaging as storms and earthquakes are to the planet, our sins damage our relationships to God and our neighbor even more severely. We don't think of it this way, but last night's "gift" might help us realize the mess we make when we sin, and lead us to pray from the depths of our heart: "Have mercy on us and on the whole world." God's mercy is really only what can help us clean up and repair the spiritual damage caused by sin.
Bro. Rene