Jesus (says): Listen, if your hand is on the plow but your eyes are looking backward, then you’re not fit for the kingdom of God. (Gospel of Luke Chapter 9 verse 62 – Tr. the Voice)
In looking back over the year 2023, there were plenty of issues happening in the world that affected us all; but specially the events in our family that were very upsetting. So I googled 2023 world events chronicled website (https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/2023 and started to read the following……..
The month of January led off with the funeral in Rome for Benedict 16th, the former (German) Pope who had abdicated his position in 2013.
To help Ukraine with its war against the Russian aggressor ,USA and Germany agree to send 45 modern tanks. However, Ukraine soldiers will need training to get acquainted with its machinery. The official war will be 1 year old on February 24, 2023. Even though there is death and destruction everyday, there appears a growing tiredness in UN countries and others, but especially in the USA, stalling the support lines and slowing down the flow of assistance for weapons and monetary aid. Is this a calculated stealth strategy (by their friends) that will force Ukraine to accept a cease fire and suck-up the present war position as the eventual outcome of their struggle for an independent (from Russian influence) Ukraine? What about those F16 fighter jets, again delayed. Maybe in 2025?
In early February, we saw news of earthquakes (7.8 magnitude) in the middle east Turkey, Syria, trapping thousands of people in numerous collapsed buildings with the dead numbering in the the thousands. How could this be? It soon turned out that many of the buildings were not able to withstand the quake-shocks as they had been poorly constructed with inferior materials or bypassing acceptable building standards with quake proofing standards ignored. A total tragedy of biblical proportions. (60,000 people died.)
In June we had the tragedy of the Ocean Gate’s Titan submersible at 12,000ft below sea-level, with adventurous well-heeled passengers on board looking to catch a glimpse of the sunk Titanic (1912) but unable to sustain a pressure of 300 times, it imploded, killing all 5 persons onboard. Many voiced against the recklessness of its operator.
I continued to catch more news worthy events of 2023………atmospheric river storms, floods and landslides, volcanic eruptions, AI fright for deep-fake news and info, African/Asian countries push back on LGTBQ, drought in Somalia killing 43,000 people in 2022, USA shooter kills 3 children and 3 adults in Christian school Convent Elementary, in Nashville, Tennessee, the gun-debate again up front affecting everyday American children and families, Political and corporate figures are being accused of devious and abusive practices and life styles, Sexual extortions by authority/celebrity identities, Lies and untruths abound on the social media resulting in an admittance of wrongs (only to seek a quick monetary settlement but no real: ‘we’re sorry’ ) with a 775 million dollar court judgment – with money you can cover any lies, no real soul searchings here. Children & teenagers committing suicide while surfing the net caught by, sucked-in and manipulated into indecent acts or reciting personal private info by unscrupulous persons with evil intentions, Climate change is now being ‘felt and seen’ with the world’s average temperature rising beyond expectations, huge amounts of money spent on ‘space-race’ endeavours, the moon landings are next, Sports and celebrities earning and offered unreal and gross capital amounts of money, Wildfires in Canada, Conservative nationalistic voices dominate the political rhetoric across the world’s nations and many more at home. The events following the October 7 terrorists attacking Israel settlers and setting off a fire storm of retaliation. Now there are demonstrations all over the western world democracies as the response to that event is considered revengeful and cruel and that it is now snuffing out more lives. The cause of all this is now fading into the background and our motives for justice are covered in more blood. But how do you kill an immoral ideology? Is there no right or wrong? And so it goes on……
Closer to home……..Our church community too has suffered from the tiredness of Covid 19 and now is slowly emerges from the Pandemic cautionaries (masks on, no handshakes) hibernations and withdrawals. The news that another church nearby was folding, unable to see their way clear to continue because of lost membership and lost vision? has become our gain. People we know and grew up (teenage friends and school acquaintances) have come to the end of their life and we all are in the midst of asking the big questions……..’how now shall we live’ as families and re-organize as a community and as neighbourhoods of faith, with fellow citizens in our communities.
But specially again this last week of December, we have been subjected to the passing of friends and acquaintances. Attending a series of visitations for people whose families have suffered the loss of a loved one. Perhaps, is it because our family lost a beloved daughter-in-law that it too has affected us in a big way? It sure was an event that cuts you to the raw, not just because the committal at the cemetery took place on a severely wind frosty day, as we together, family and friends stood around the gravesite and recited our faith and hope in God, our only Comfort and spoke together about the promise of the resurrection of life to come and verbalized the trusted mercies of God; while tightly gripping each other, not only because of the cold, but the sting of death visually realized was so great. It seemed we were all being buried in that hole of SADNESS and LOSS. How do we make sense of why a lively daughter-in-law (a Mom about to become an Oma) could so quickly be claimed by the grip of an unrelenting deadly cancer. We remembered a year ago, all was well and in the ensuing months of sickness had pleaded with God on numerous occasions, why and why her? We now see a son devastated by the loss of his wife and companion, his friend. (CC see Lament) Children without a mother and the ‘about to be birthed babies’, the loss of an (expecting with Joy!) Oma, even before their lives begin. Oh, the misery and the helplessness of it all. It hits you in the guts.
So even with this in our minds and hearts, we again drove to say our condolences a few days later to yet another family we know. We came home and once again prepared for another condolences visit on our list. This one was an old acquaintance, someone who experienced the horrors of the concentration camps of Indonesia during WW2, where he lost his parents and with his sister and brother were taken up by the remaining family as orphans. Sorrows that stays and rots your bones for the rest of your life.
That same afternoon my grandchildren drove up to visit their maternal Grandfather battling cancer, and to show him his three weeks old first great-grandchild. Surely, the rhythms of life move us on and we sometimes seem just unwilling spectators as God unrolls His-story book of our time-bound universe. We attended a Memorial service for yet another loved one. The question was asked again: ‘Why Lord, why us, why now? What is it that you want to tell us?’ A book I recently read by Lydia Dugdale, the ‘Art of Dying’, reminds the reader and so all of us, that we will (must) die – (‘Momento Mori’) this is the human condition for us all. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens; a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to…………” book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3.
So looking back over the year of our Lord (Anno.Domino) AD 2023 has not been a pleasant experience for our family and yet all these remembrances and events that have shaped our lives are useful in teaching us ‘How to live.’ This hymn says what we believe in our hearts is true! Yes there is much goodness and hope for the believer!
God, we’ve known such grief and anger
As we’ve heard your people cry.
We have asked you, “How much longer?” *
We have sadly wondered, “Why?”
In this world of so much suffering,
May we hear your word anew:
“I will never leave you orphaned;
I will not abandon you.”
By your grace comes resurrection;
By your love, you cast out fear.
You give strength and sure direction
As we seek to serve you here.
You give comfort to the grieving,
And you bless the ones who mourn.
May we trust in you, believing
Out of chaos, hope is born.
Hope is ours for, God, you love us!
You have claimed us by your grace.
And through Jesus, you have called us
To bring hope to every place.
In each rescue worker’s caring,
In each faithful volunteer,
In each Christian’s love and sharing,
God, we glimpse your kingdom here.
Hymn Author: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2002)
- as in Psalm 13 verse 1 & 2
- This hymn can be sung to the tune of ‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy’:
Tune: In Babilone –Julius Rontgen (1855-1933) 8,7,8,7 Dutch Traditional Melody, 1710; Oude en Nieuwe Hollantse…Contradanseu, Amsterdam, c. 1710 – Public domain—Hymnary.org
Picture: 2007 Olympia, Greece.
JS February 15, 2024
On the Road 