Floods and things

It's always quite difficult to know what to do in the face of what we now call 'natural' disasters, but which once were traditionally laid at the feet of the Almighty as 'acts of God'.

I observed to my friend who is involved with the Country Fire Service that I have found my self praying through the night for the current round of floods in Queensland as I do pray for him and others when ever I hear the awful sound of the fire siren.

My observation to L is that it seems like a fairly impotent sort of exercise sometimes. Though it needs to be stated that feeling impotent is a powerful act of identification and empathy in the face of flood. Prayer often, it seems to me, is not so much about getting God to wave a magic wand as being engaged in a process of solidarity. This may be too subtle for some.

That is also not to say that we are to do nothing. In our society often all we can do is give money and while that is not without its problems for us nevertheless it is worth doing in order to strengthen the solidarity.

One can only begin to imagine the horror of such a thing