Massive Tragedy and What Really Matters

No words can describe the horrors experienced by the people in Myanmar. The hurricane (called a cyclone in that part of the world) may cause 150,000 deaths by next week and 4 times that number are injured, homeless, and destitute. In China this morning an earthquake caused at least 5000 deaths and who knows how much physical, financial, and emotional destruction. And right here in GA and in other places across the country several people have been killed, wounded, and left homeless. One family in one of our sister Churches of the Nazarene in Central GA was killed today by a tornado.

In the last few years we have seen more of these occurances in more different ways than I can recall. Katrina is still fresh in our minds nearly two years later. The War on Terror has taken the lives of a few thousand of our countrymen and women. Certainly the Iraqi people have suffered even more. The 9/11 tragedy continues to haunt us and the world with soaring gas prices. Tsunami's, hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, wars, famines, epidemics...the world seems to be convulsing.

When you do the math on the tragedies since the new millenium the information is staggering. With all the warfare, famine, epidemics, and natural disasters combined more than 5 million people have died since 2000. Unfortunately the size of the number hinders our ability to feel it. That figure includes nearly 1,000,000 children. There are some areas where entire cities were annihilated. Many homes experienced the deaths of the entire family including extended family. The 5 million deaths have created another 500,000 orphans. The world is suffering and dying.

Now don't misunderstand. I am not trying to depress you, get money from you, or make you feel bad for what you have. We are blessed to be Americans. Here is my concern. The churches, ours included, get so caught up in so many dumb things when there are people around us and around the world that will not wake up in this world tomorrow. Something tragic will be fall them and instantly a whole group of people will be swept into eternity. And based on their walk with God they are either in heaven or in hell, forever.

These massive tragedies should remind us that nothing else matters except helping people find God and become Christ-followers. God, help us to get our eyes on the people around us who need you. We cannot stop tragedies in this world...but we can make sure it does not also become a tragedy in the next!