God's Hands are our Hands

The images and information out of Burma these days are heart-wrenching. More than twenty thousand dead, forty thousand missing, and roughly a million displaced. Relief workers say that the impact of the rain on human skin was so forceful that there are marks which look like burns. So much human suffering on a scale that we would be ill-equipped to address in our much more affluent and open society. After the tsunami in south-east Asia a few years ago some claimed it was God's wrath (such a prehistoric mindset) and others asked whether God was present at all. While it is hard to comprehend why this has happened, God will be active through those who respond with compassion during the weeks ahead.

Not only is there a theological aspect to this tragedy, there are political and environmental implications as well. The oppressive military junta has been slow to admit that the cyclone took such a heavy toll and reluctant to let other nations provide aid. We're also told that the steady deforestation of the mangrove swamps of Burma has removed the natural barrier which mitigates the effect of these powerful storms.

In the end this is about bringing relief to those who are afflicted. Organizations such as the Red Cross, Unicef, and World Vision are all taking donations. The United Church always finds a way to direct special gifts to where it is needed most. And of course we can always pray.