Living through the flood of ’07

The recent weekend was outrageous. Probably the first time I’ve ever lived through an event that you would normally marvel at on the news. Some of the highlights:

– watching one of the ships struggle to get away from the coast
– walking down the side of our house in shin deep water (that’s my shins too)
– going on rescue missions in the Subaru to pick up friends stranded at hospitals and shopping centres
– being woken at 1.30am by our neighbour whose roof was lifting off in gale forced winds
– seeing cars floating and abandoned on main roads in Newcastle City
– the Ship… it’s real big up close!

Here are some photos from the day!

This sign has been at Fern Bay on the road from Nelson Bay to the Hunter for a long time. Has this sign been a long standing prophecy that has now been fulfilled. Whatever the case I think the signwriter spoke better than he/she knew!

But all this made me think seriously about what sorts of things to be talking about when we speak to people about the disaster.

1. God is King. In these times we can be embarrassed to speak about God’s involvement in such a disaster. However to shy away from speaking about God as the one who brings calamity we diminish the sovereignty of God. People will want to calim that Mother NAture is responsible or even Satan but God is the King of creation and not even a sparrow will fall to the ground unless God wills it.

   28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10

2. Humanity’s frailty. Our life could be taken from us at any moment and the response we must have in the face of disasters is to repent and believe.

   1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Luke 13
   
   On local radio and the news reporters and others have spent a lot of time giving glory to the people in Newcastle because of their efforts to help one another out – they celebrate the achievements of humanity. In a way, that is right response. People have pulled together achieved a great deal. But what is forgotten, or not mentioned, or ignored is the fact that disasters are a real reminder to us of our frailty. Christians need to keep this on the agenda if we’re going to ask people to repent and believe.

Hope to see you in Newcastle sometime soon… come and check out our brand new oil slick!