Malankara World

Today with Jesus

Natural Calamities

by Rev. Fr. V.V. Paulose, Toronto, Canada

Today's Bible Verse

“Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm.” (Mark :4:39)

Discussion

Is nobody there to call Jesus to interfere to stop the catastrophic dance of tornados and natural calamities like the one in southern US on the 27th and 28th of April 2011, killing more than 300 human life within seconds?

The intensity and frequency of natural calamities and pestilence are on the increase with the passing of each day. Scientific warnings can’t stop the catastrophe of natural calamities. The universe runs on its own natural rule that God has created. Human actions and inactions contribute to the acceleration and deceleration of destruction that nature brings. We are the people God has entrusted to rule over and live under His laws on earth.

"Fill the earth and be its master” (Genesis 1:28). We have no right to break the natural law of nature. We are blindly and indiscriminately destroying nature for fulfilling the avarice of human wants like an elephant in a sugarcane plantation. So, going back to God and his laws of love is the simple solution. The men of God can do wonders and miracles to mitigate the impact of the fury of nature by their immediate action and can even stop it like Jesus did in the Sea of Galilee.

In 1886 at the time of the Saint Gregarious of Parumala, Kerala in India, there was a pestilence of Small Pox sucking village after villages. Many people from Thumpamon area died of it. When the Saint heard about this, he rushed to the place and visited the homes of the patients one after another irrespective of caste, creed, or color. The Saint’s visit was a soothing relief from the fear due to his prayer and possible service, which were rendered during the visit. The saint had asked his followers to do the same for the frightened people. The patients got relief slowly but steadily. Until the killer disease had completely disappeared from that place, the Saint stayed at the village church.

“Who is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?” ( Luke 8:25). If God’s children connect with each other and plead Jesus to stop the natural calamities, then it is going to stop. We should volunteer for the victims of the catastrophe.

Prayer

Jesus, we pray for the victims of the tornadoes in the States. We call and cry to you to show mercy on us and stop the wind of destruction. Let us follow the natural order. Let us put a stop for our avarice and wanton destruction of nature. Let us help and share in this time of natural calamities instead of putting the blame on God and others. All we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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