Speechless

Unreal. And yet so very real, all too real for the tens of thousands who perished, for the countless more who mourn, who weep, who cry out for meaning in the depth of night.

Weeks later, life in the United States goes on as normal. Bombings in Libya have pushed the tragedy from the headlines, and how easily I forget about my brothers and sisters on the other side of the planet, suffering and trying to find a way forward, day by precious day.

I feel as though I have no words to say to bring meaning out of this. I have no explanation, no grasp of how complete this tragedy is.

God can speak over watery chaos. God's words have creative power, are filled with love that knows no depth, offer grace and mercy in times of need.

In Missional Renaissance, Reggie McNeal takes the church to task for spending so much time in prayer for ourselves, for those in the pews. Are we praying for the world, for those in our community, for those we'd love to see the light of Christ? Are we spending time lifting them up before the throne of grace?

I watch that wave, over and over, sweep over the car. (The driver is ok, amazingly enough) I think of my baptismal promises, to trust in the grace and love of Christ, to follow wherever he might lead. Am I willing to invest time on my knees in prayer for Japan, that God might show me how best to serve them?

Or am I too interested in returning to 'life as normal'?