Disturbance in Creation

 Have you been feeling it, this disturbance in Creation?  

Things are unsettled. Think back to December 2019, when we first heard about a strange new virus on the other side of the world and fast forward to today.   All that has happened in between?

Covid and variants, waves 1 thru to 4, where we're at now in my little of the corner of the world

But there's also polarization

over politics, left v right;  

over masks,  for v against; 

over vaccines, yes v no 

over refugees, let them in v keep them out 

over race, critical race theory v no such thing as white privilege

over faith, Christian nationalism, civic religion v deconstructed spirituality, contemplative ways

And somehow it's all become conflated.

Then there are the children; they have found children's graves at - so far 3 - residential schools  in Canada and there will be more.   Painful as this is, the torch of justice and the spirit of reconciliation have been relit and enlivened again - pray God, let it be sustained and bear fruit this time.

There's the record "heat dome" that resulted in over 500 deaths in my province followed by wildfires for the record books.  Over 250 burned throughout the interior and we had 3 straight weeks of skies so smoky you couldn't go outside.

And earthquakes in Haiti, again;  floods in India and other parts of South Asia; and Afghanistan.  The Taliban are back and it's chaos x 100.   People are fearful, especially the women and girls. So many got left behind.  And the west goes on.

Record flooding in BC in November, a new variant yet again, this one sounds like a planet, Omicron. It's more contagious and creating even more polarization along the vaccine front.

There is talk of the collapse of democracy in the US. I've even heard "civil war" bantied about like it's talk about the weather,  but underneath that you get the sense that deep down, the talkers really believe it's possible and that is as scary as hell.

Russia is amassing on the Ukraine border.  NATO are sending arms and "consultants" and pontificating about economic sanctions so restrictive as to cripple ... who, the oligarchy?  Fat chance, no,  the ones who will pay will the regular folk like you and me, while Putin and his croonies stay safe, sound and disgustingly rich off the backs of dying soldiers and hungry, maybe starving,  citizens.

Refugees are freezing along the Polish border.  

An undersea volcano all but destroyed Tonga.

It's only January and hope is playing an elusive game.

What is going on?   

All I know is that I'm sensing a real disturbance in creation. Is the groaning getting louder? 

And all I know to to do is pray, get silent, lament, pray some more, and trust God. All I can do is stay  alert with eyes open to opportunity and hands and feet ready to serve, to be hospitable to my neighbour and the stranger, to be  kind, loving, open, and generous, while still praying, keeping silence, lamenting and praying some more.  And trusting, always trusting God. 

That's really all I know to do.  So that is my best and God makes it enough.