“How long, O Lord?” And he said, “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is utterly desolate.” (Isaiah 6:11)

2017 – History will record a year of desolation – disaster upon disaster, desolation upon desolation.

The first disaster was the election – yielding to their worst human sins: fear, hate, and greed; the people elected an unqualified man, an egotist, a narcissist who cannot stand to be questioned, cannot be wrong, to the presidency. He took office in January.

After that – I may get things wrong chronologically – I have reeled from the impacts. There was Charlottesville, where the sin of racism raised its head. Growing up in the South, I thought we had moved past that – so much for progress!

Then the hurricanes – disaster had names: Harvey flooded Texas, Irma created destruction up Florida, all the way to North Georgia – twelve elderly people died in Miami – but Irma caused most damage in Big Pine Key, a place dear to my heart! The President was busy fighting with football players, while Maria wiped out much of Puerto Rico – the death toll there is now past 49 – and the President threw paper towels at survivors.

In what was a human-created disaster, a man shooting from a hotel window killed 58 people, injured more than 500. This disaster was caused by the sin, not just of total egotism, which is idolatry, and of the murder that rose from it, but of the greed of a nation that refuses to put reasonable limits on automatic weapons.

And then, California, a death toll still climbing, thousands of homes destroyed by fires that sweep across the hills, powered by Santa Ana winds.

Overseas – we hardly noticed, being so engulfed in our own disasters – earthquakes in Mexico killing hundreds, mudslides in Sierra Leone, flooding and landslides in Peru, damage to other island nations from Maria, a hurricane called Ophelia in Ireland – they don’t have hurricanes in Ireland  – and the continuing flood of refugees, fleeing war, drought, and famine.

This earth cries out in agony and pain – so many people hurting, so many people have lost their homes, have lost loved ones – what can we do? Where can we look for hope? for help?

“The Lord is my Shepherd”, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”

God does not send the disasters, nor does God keep them away; but God walks through them with us. God sends helpers – the firemen fighting the fires in California, some even as their own homes burned, the neighbors helping one another on Big Pine Key; the volunteers going to places of disaster. When you want to find God in a disaster, look for the helpers!

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)