In our age of the fast-moving 24-hour news cycle, we get so inundated with today, that it’s easy to forget yesterday. But yesterday is not so easy to forget for survivors of hurricanes, storms, floods, and even chemical spills. Survivors of Ian that barreled through Fort Myers last November are still struggling as are people in Pakistan after floods covered a third of the country last year.
Closer to home, in August the State opened comments on the Tropical Storm Ida recovery plan, almost a year after the storm, and the Gateway Tunnel Project now begins, ten years after Sandy. But the fancy names for these projects do not address the devastation that such storms cause human beings.
Yesterday Turkey suffered a 7.8 scale earthquake. We hear the numbers of dead and missing, and look at photos of rubble from mountain villages. And next week the 24-hour cycle will turn our attention to another story, another tragedy. They’re cumulative and can be overwhelming, but it is important not to forget our brothers and sisters who are still struggling to recover and to reach out to help.
Prayer for the Day
Sometimes, O God, we are so overwhelmed by the news,
Stories of suffering and tragedy among our neighbors and abroad;
We want to brush them away but we know we cannot do so,
For you call us to respond not just for one day but for many.
Grant, O Gracious God, that we care for others
As we want others to care for us when we are so afflicted.
In the name of the One who is our strength,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Recovery from big events like Ian takes longer than people think. The tough question is, how do you define recovery? When all the government money is spent? When things get back to ‘normal’?
- Patrick Roberts, disaster specialist
I am trying my best to stay grounded, but I am losing it. Tt’s a weird sensation, being at the mercy of these people, someone else being in charge of your destiny.
- Tara and Gerald Boyd, Ian survivors, Fort Myers, Florida
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame;
In your righteousness, deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily;
Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me
Psalm 31: 1-2