There are times in life where it feels like a perfect storm. With deep respect to the book of the same description and the story of the individuals involved, it is an understatement to say that life can be cruel. Missing children that remain missing and under reported, lost lives on a flight that refuses to be found, and wars driven by greed are just the beginning. Examples go on to include avalanches, tornadoes, and other acts of nature. If one adds the violence simmering in every community, you have an ugly picture that gets worse with each additional detail.
In the morning calm, with tropical breezes and soft clouds taking the edge off the dawn’s sun, the storms can seem distant and almost mythological. My mind wants to challenge the accuracy of how evil is described. It is hard to accept that the life could be this way for anyone but in my heart I know it is true. On a small scale, bad stuff happens all around us. We see it, numbed to its reality. There is a natural tendency to believe that the perfect storm will never happen here only to discover evil next door. An old observation comes alive; “Suddenly they’re [evil in any form] all at the gate, snarling invective, drawn daggers in their teeth. They think they’ll never get caught.” (Psalm 59.7)
In the darkest moments, the actions taken by individuals and communities offer encouragement. Individuals are willing to put their lives on the line for another. Communities are willing to take a stand against the unjust. It may not seem like much but it is a start! Hope is not dead; it is alive in every heart that is stirred to act.
It is hard to know what new or continuing evil will be within reach today. I can only hope that there will be individuals, myself included, that are willing to risk all to rescue those touched. Each storm is an opportunity to demonstrate compassion in action, unconditional acceptance, and solidarity. Everyone is a member of God’s family.
