From the Pastor

February 2010

There are many things I can understand and comprehend. I understand how to drive and I comprehend the rules of the road. I understand how to ride a bike, and I comprehend how to be safe when doing so. I understand how to follow a recipe, and can comprehend some of the nuances of cooking.

However, when I look at pictures coming out of Haiti, I have difficulty. I can understand, on an intellectual level, what has happened there. I understand that a very powerful earthquake has devastated the country, and has leveled buildings that were probably not well-built in the first place.

But I cannot quite comprehend the depth of the tragedy that we have all been seeing. I cannot wrap my mind around nearly 150,000 people dead ... tens of thousands without food, shelter, water, and enough health care ... and everyone wracked by grief.

But even in the midst of such tragedy, I can take comfort and find hope in God—whose grace, mercy, and compassion I cannot fully comprehend, but whose love and presence provides strength in times of tragedy. I know that God works through the prayers and donations of those of us who watch from a distance, and I know that God is present with all who work right in the midst of the devastation, sustaining them so that they can bring care and relief to the people affected.

There are many things I cannot fully comprehend, including the boundless love of God. But I am grateful for that love, which links all of God’s creatures together and which sustains us in times such as these.

In Christ,
Pastor Brenda