The Journey 181: Colarado Burns; Does That matter To You?

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Read: Joshua 7:1-26
           A massive  disaster both  in terms of natural and human has occurred in Colorado.  Colorado has been in a grip of wild fire known as the Waldo Canyon Fire. According to the preliminary report from the news agencies, nearly  347 residences on about 35 streets have been destroyed. It is presumed that the fire was triggered by lightning on June 9. The fire has sent huge billowing cloud of smoke into the air over the Colorado Springs thus covering up the Pikes peak whose beautiful naturescape helped to inspire the famous patriotic song " America the Beautiful".  Pikes peak is now closed  leaving the tourism industry also in a slump. An estimated 4,300 people remain evacuated from their homes due to the effect of the Waldo Canyon Fire. But what made me write about this tragedy is a news item that I heard as I was listening to the radio station K-Love. K Love was asking people to help the people suffering from the wild fire tragedy. A  pastor in the local church at Colorado, was in anguish, and lamented  at the total insensitivity of the fellow citizens from other states. According to him when Tsunami or Earthquake strikes, help is rendered on an emergency basis but according to him the wild fire tragedy is treated very  mildly by others, leaving a lot of Colorado natives to bear the brunt of the tragedy and also living with the feeling that the fellow citizens are not ready to help nor be part to tide over the crisis due to this natural disaster. What the pastor was referring as the growing tendency of people to stay away from being part of the helping team to tide over a crisis  or be a support to people who are going through crisis. But more than that there are times when one group of people suffer, there are others who try to manipulate the suffering of others or bring suffering to others purely for selfish gain.
              This week we are meditating on the theme " Transformation in our Family" based on Joshua 7:1-26. Yesterday we found out that a whole nation of Israel suffered because of the sin of Achan. What was the sin of Achan. God had commanded the nation of Israel as to what is to be done during war. But instead of obeying the commands of the Lord, Achan tries to be selfish. He is not concerned about the common goodness, nor does he think about what will happen if he disobeys the command of God. Due to this the nation of Israel is punished and they loose the battle with Ai. Israel suffers resounding  defeat, but Achan is least perturbed. He has no issue with what has happened to Israel and that is when Joshua confronts Achan and the sin of Achan is discovered. Achan represents those type of  people who just does not care as to what happens to others, even when they suffer or go through crisis, their life goes on as usual. It is in such a context that just as the pastor in Colorado said, we need to be little more aware and conscious of the suffering of others, though we may not have experienced the suffering as the people of Colorado is going through. Let us be at least sensitive to what is happening around us rather than just concerned about the forthcoming NBA league or the baseball match round the corner. Colorado fire is raging there, but is a fire raging inside you with regards to the suffering of the Colorado people?

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