Tsunami and Shakes

Waking up this morning to the news of the devestating earthquake and tsunami in Japan was another unreal experience.  Like Burma some years ago, Cyclone Nargis, like Haiti's tragic earthquake, like Christchurch in New Zealand or Australia's flood situation, each of the seemingly regular disasters happening all over the world....not to mention the Middle East demonstrations and a guy like Ghaddafi's son telling the press, "what you see out there is a joke, nothing more then a joke!".  Hope he remembers that line when he's held accountable one day, behind bars...although in his delusional state he is in a kind of sad self-made prison.  yikes.  Plus, almost unnoticed, we have passed into the yearly season of Lent. 

Ash Wednesday, the time of desert journeys and wilderness wanderings, according to the church calender.  Is this coincidence?  Our groaning world has entered into a colossal Ash Wednesday, whether they like it or not.  How can we prepare for the crashing wave of immediate and total destruction?  It sweeps away everything in its powerful advance, with no regard to people, cars, buildings or nuclear reactors.  Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.  Mortality knocks and keeps on knocking on our Internet and TV screens, across town and even on our very doors.  Who is next, who will save us, who will guide us through the wasteland, muck, debris and death? 

About 40 days from now we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  The resurrection, the power of new life, abundance, of freedom, of the Kingdom to come, the King has returned from the desert of pain and death victorious and leading the way.  He sees our brokenness, our wringing of our hands, our dirty bodies and parched mouths and hollow stomachs.  He is sweeping away the props, the lies, the greed, the careless living.  Are we ready for it?

Sunday night, at St. Benedict's, we sang as we ended our service:

Thank You for healing me,
loving me,
staying with me,
for holding me,
helping me

Thank You for breaking my heart
Thank You for tearing me apart
Now I'm a strong, strong heart
Thank you for breaking my heart

Can I thank Him for that ? I mean I like the loving and healing and holding and helping , but breaking and tearing????  That hurts, but I realize, with our human nature, that's what it takes to purify and refine these ol' deceptive hearts.  In Your love and ultimate healing......"Thank You Lord, for breaking my heart".