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Trinity Sunday May 22, 2005 Vol XIV Just a Thought: Has God abandoned rural Australia? The drought has taken its devastating toll across not only our area but right across key farming areas in Australia. The weather forecasters seem only to have bad news. Other scientists are speaking not of drought as an event that will come to an end but of climatic change, signalling further doom. The other night a spokesman for the Farmers Federation stated in a television interview that in the past months four farmers each day in Australia are attempting or completing suicide whilst others are walking off their lands. Is there any good news, will the rains come? Will life return to some sort of order that we once knew? How do we react to all of this as a part of the church as women and men of faith in God? At the drought summit held in Parkes this last week there was a lot of anger at governments, banks, and other agencies, I also suspect that there was a lot of anger at God! One person that attended the summit in Parkes reported to me that in a conversation with a community leader the leader made the comment that we in the church at least have our faith to fall back upon in this tough time. If this so, where does our strength come from? I have been reflecting upon questions like these long and hard this week, and in particular what comfort do we have to share with our neighbours, friends and families when we are surrounded by dust, emaciated stock, a pile of bills that need payment, a crop that is being sown on faith and dams that are dry? My first thoughts are to turn the Psalms, whilst we often may think that the Psalms are nice poems of praise they are also heart cries of people who struggle, are angry and are crying out for comfort. Where else may one begin but to Psalm 121: I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Being reminded that the LORD God is our help; I also am drawn to Psalms 22-24. Those three Psalms are a trilogy of pastoral care for one who is in distress. Psalm 22 is what Jesus said on the cross prior to his death when he took all the sins of the world upon himself. It also speaks of those who trust God and yet find themselves mocked for their faith in the midst of their misfortune. The Psalmist lays it all out in lament and anger before God. He then moves to the recognition of the pastoral care that God provides in Psalm 23, ‘green pastures’ may be a dream for us just now, but they are a promise of God who is faithful. In Psalm 23 David lays out his faith in God that God will provide for his mind, body and soul restoration, love and gentle care. How we may need reminding of this time and time again. Psalm 24 is a Davidic Psalm of praise and acknowledgement that God is still in control despite that some may believe the contrary. Throughout the history of the earth God has placed his people to be a light to others, this has been especially so when times have been the darkest. As we live in this difficult time of drought, may the Spirit of Christ strengthen and encourage us to be his people who are the lights to others. Governments may offer relief in monetary ways and one would hope that they certainly do so swiftly. Other organisations may offer in kind assistance, but the church is here to offer help in giving hope, love, pastoral care and faith. Friends, we are not removed from this calamitous drought, we are in it, up to our eyeballs in the dust, but we are called out to be a people of faith and thereby bring glory to Christ whom we serve. Let us gently remind one another of this fact and share it with those around us. To return to my opening question, ‘Has God abandoned rural Australia?’ I without a doubt believe not, we are still yet to see God’s greater glory as He cares for us. CMV
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