Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Reacting to Grief MH370 Air Disaster



It has not yet fully played out. That might take years. But as of today it became apparent that a Chinese bound Malaysian airline flight got diverted and crashed into the seas off Coastal Australia's West. No survivors of 239 passengers and crew. One 4 y/o child, one 76 y/o and everyone in between.

But the grief will not be limited to the loss. ABC news (Australia at 7pm) showed footage of a Chinese woman who had lost her only child, a son. The full enormity of which is exposed by the one child policy. A Chinese government bureaucratic decision has wiped out a family that had survived the trials and tribulations of humanity going back millions of years. Until now. But to make it worse, The Chinese lady's son had been with his wife and child. His wife's family has been wiped out too.

I ask myself about where God is in this, because it is a tragedy.

Faith does not change physics. There is a reason why this tragedy happened. Some are claiming pilot suicide as a likelihood, but I am feeling it is probably another theory, a cargo of lithium batteries responding badly in storage, starting a fire and taking out the flight early on, leaving a dead bird to fly on auto pilot until it crashed. Faith does not change that fact, but colours it.

What hope is there from such devastation?

God promised Abraham he would be a father to his chosen. His faithful people pray for much the same.  But that is pride. I know I might not have that blessing, but I'm still His servant, and He is still my Master. It has nothing to do with the faith of the people on the craft or their loved ones. But their faith determines their fate, not as to being victims of a tragedy, but of being part of a future in His arms. There is something worse than death, it is the death of hope. And I do not speak for those on the plane. I speak for my self.

Father, I have prayed that this tragedy has not occurred. And it has. But I know you, and you keep your promises. I have changed my mind many times in my life, but you have held held to your promise from the beginning of time. Father, hold those on that flight tightly. Heal their broken and hurting loved ones. Give hope to those who have lost all. And show the world that while tragedy is sad, your love transforms and heals.

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