Myanmar. "A la la la"

The first estimate was in the thousands. And then the tens of thousands. Now. . .100,000. Some experts believe the losses could rival The Tsunami from 4 years ago. I can scarce believe it. The storm, the loss of life, the pride of the Junta. Dozens die every hour yet only now are relief planes "allowed" to bring hope. I can't imagine being a Burma resident and knowing the only reason my ailing infant will never get better is because my government is "skeptical and wary of outsiders." The frustration, anger, grief and despair has got to be choking the hope right out these people. Many are probably wondering where God is. He's stuck at the border, that's where.

It's difficult for North Americans to know what to do in these situations so usually we avoid these kind of things. I can't tell you how many people I know who actually refuse to read the paper or watch the news because they don't want to be constantly reminded of "depressing things like this." Amazingly, when these same people experience tragedies of their own no amount of Emails, Facebooks, Blogs or Bulletins could cover their hardships enough. I don't mean to be harsh here, I just don't think closing our eyes, plugging our ears and repeating "a la la la" is what God's Kingdom Bearers are called to do. I think we're called to more.

Here's some of the more:

Prayer is usally option #2 after "a la la la" and it's a good option. We can ask God to soften the hearts of the Junta. We can ask God to blow open the Burma borders so salvation can roll on in. We can ask God to stop the disease from spreading. We can ask God to comfort the heartbroken and bring hope to those in despair. We can even ask God to soften our own hearts so we're available to be his hands and feet.

We can send money. Many organizations, including World Vision, are right now accepting donations. Millions of pounds of food, water, medical supplies and clothing will need to be purchased. You can get involved by helping with that purchase.

Perhaps most importantly, we can live grateful lives. Next time you or anyone you know complains about the "stupid weather" you have my permission to smack them with a newspaper and then tell them to read the front page. Oh the things we complain about in Eden.
Most of you who read this thing live in Calgary or Regina, which means you are living in two of the richest cities in North America. Live grateful lives!. And for God sake, don't plug your ears. Educate yourselves, stay in the know. How can you care if you don't?

John

P.S. You may remember Kori and Lisa went to Myanmar just a few months back. Go here to relive their favorite place. And actually, Kori just penned his own reflections on this tragedy so make sure you check them out. As usual they are thought provoking.