Musings

We have visited London in the last few years. It is a beautiful city, filled with life. The terrorist activities there today remind us that our world is no longer predictable. While it is very true that each of us is only given one day at a time to live, we go through our days as though we are going to live forever. We are proud of our ability to plan for the future, store up retirement savings, and find new adventures in living. But death is always a part of life. Whether from disease, accidents, natural disasters, or human malevolence, we have a limited lifespan. God is the master of my fate - not a terrorist! In Ps 139, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Human history tells us that there have been many dark periods in history. I grew up in the Cold War - with food and supplies stockpiled in the buildings in downtown Amarillo. The yellow triangles marked where to go for shelter in case of a nuclear attack. Looking back, diving under the school desk would not have protected us from a nuclear blast, but we practiced it in drills anyway. London has had dark days before - the German blitzkrieg during World War II was a horrible time of death and destruction. Much of historic London was lost to the bombs. The strife over Northern Ireland and the terrorist activity took its toll. But I rejoice that so many of these historical conflicts did subside and peace returned. I truly believe that this struggle with these seemingly religious fanatics will have an end. Anger and hatred are tiring emotions constantly requiring feeding. As a destructive summer storm comes in with a roar, there is always an end to the turbulence. Summer storms may come in quickly and leave quickly. Other times they linger and have several waves of thunder, rain, wind, and occasionally hail. But after the storm, the air has been washed clean, the sun shines brighter, and sometimes, a rainbow fills the sky.

I am really a simple person. I do not understand the need to kill people that I don't know. I certainly do not understand what drives someone to kill themselves in this process. People who have hope for the future do not do such things - only people in great despair.

Somehow, a solution must be found for the disparity between the super rich and the very poor. We must also learn to appreciate the differences in the cultures around the world. In the long run, only God can bring peace back into our world. So tonight my prayer:

Lord, please provide comfort and sympathy to those who are grieving in London. Bring healing to the injured and strength for the families as they nurse their loved ones back to health. Give the people in London the courage to go about their normal activities in spite of this tragedy. Touch the hearts of the men who are sowing these seeds of hatred. Touch the hearts of the young men who are following the teachings of hatred. Bring peace and prosperity to the troubled parts of our world.