Oklahoma and Other Storms

May 21, 2013 by admin

I admit, these moments are hard for me.  By “these moments” I mean the ones when natural disasters ruin the lives that people, like you and me, have spent years building, nurturing, growing, loving. Although we’ve advanced enough to explain them, even predict them, we’re still at a loss and dumbstruck when we are victimized by them. No matter their nature—hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes—we most frequently describe these moments of unsolicited and indiscriminate violence as “acts of God.” Maybe we do this in an attempt to make sense of them somehow … like we don’t understand how or why this would happen, but maybe he does.

That ties me up in knots, and makes my eyes water even as I type this.

Acts of God.

If this is true, does it makes sense then to pray to the God who performed the act of devastation for relief from it? If God sent the suffering, can he be trusted to send comfort?

These are the storms that arise in my heart, my soul when the storms of nature rage.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, who am I to ask why? I am me. I am. And, I am heartbroken for the people of Oklahoma and platitudes, no matter how well intentioned or sacredly scribed, are just stupid to me.

I don’t have the answers to the questions whirling around in my stormy heart, but I do have compassion that I’ll not only extend in prayers on their behalf, but monetarily too.  Gandhi said it best:

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”

Bread. I can give bread.

Peace and blessings,

Nicole Walters