It's a Small World After All

It 's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world

 [God] shall judge between the nations
    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
    neither shall they learn war any more.
5 O house of Jacob,
    come, let us walk
in the light of the Lord!

Isaiah 2:4-5 NRSVue

Again this year we will travel to Newfoundland and a house on Change Islands adjacent to Fogom loaned to us by a kind friend . He is a Newfoundlander by birth but he flew for Emirates Airlines for years and has now retired in Dubai. He spends about a quarter to a third of the year on Change Islands and we fit around his schedule. We reached out to him when Iran retaliated against US and Israeli attacks, including with drone strikes in Dubai. He assured us that he was safe but he's heard the explosions. We hadn't been aware that Dubai was so close to Iran, one of the leading proponents of international terror. 

A couple of years ago we nervously stayed in touch with Ruth's sister and brother-in-law who were still living in Israel. After the October 7 2023 attacks by Hamas and Israel's destructive response they were vigilant in paying attention to alerts about incoming missiles. One Sunday morning as they left church they saw Israeli missiles intercepting Hamas rockets in the sky to the southwest. When they moved to the States it took time to address their constant anxiety from that time. 

It's hard for us to grasp that we know people who have dealt with these sorts of threats as we live in the relative security in Canada.

 We were also part of sponsorship for Syrian refugees who fled their country because of threats to their safety and there are Ukrainians who fled their country living in our community. 

 Yet this is the reality for so many -- untold millions -- and there are no guarantees of safety as geopolitical realities can change in a heartbeat. How do we sort through the endless barrage of information? 

While the lyrics above are from a corny Disney song they are surprisingly apt for the time in which we live. We now know within minutes about situations that are grim and seemingly insurmountable. It makes the world smaller and scarier. 

I'm grateful that we are part of a faith community that upholds those who suffering around the world every Sunday morning. We ask for peace in the Middle East even though it seems almost impossible. We want solutions that don't involve the deaths of innocent people and the sickening expenditures of wars that we're told aren't really wars. 

We are often invited to respond with financial support by the United Church in situations of dire need. An aspect of our gratitude as Christians is to act with compassion and concern. We aren't helpless or hopeless even when circumstances seem dire. We choose to walk in God's light.