When You Work for the Church

It’s been two years since British Columbia experienced devastating flooding with mass evacuations, the deaths of five people, the loss of thousands of farm animals, the damage or destruction of every highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of the province.

In the midst of the disaster, people checked up on one another and helped where they could. Local pilots of small aircraft helped to fly people from where they were stranded. Farmers helped other farmers move their animals to higher ground and housed some of their neighbors’ animals in their own barns. Churches mobilized volunteers and found other helpful ways to respond to the disaster. People opened their homes, donated money and food. People were praying and actively showing their care and compassion.

This short video tells more about how people came together and were stronger for it:

Work to address the breach in the dike began immediately thanks to many, many local volunteers and military personnel who were flown in to help. In the two years since then, Abbotsford mayor Ross Siemens says there’s been good progress within the city to fix all the major breaches and to raise 17 kilometres of dike by an additional half metre. This month, the mayor, other government leaders and First Nations communities in British Columbia and Washington, signed an agreement to address any future flooding that might again affect both sides of the border. Although the agreement lacks specifics and many challenges remain in working trans-border, it’s another indication that we are stronger together.

In Psalm 107, the people also faced devastating circumstances:

• Some wandered in the wilderness, “hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them” (verse 5).
• Some were imprisoned “in misery and in irons” (verse 10).
• Some suffered from their own foolish choices and “endured affliction” (verse 17).
• Some were working at sea and encountered stormy weather; “their courage melted away in their calamity” (verse 26).

In each case, the people “cried to the Lord in their trouble” (verses 6, 13, 19, 28), and in each case, God saved them in their distress. They were stronger together with God, and the people were encouraged:

• “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” (verse 8)
• “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” (verse 15)
• “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” (verse 21)
• “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.” (verse 31)

In the midst of disaster in our world today—the devastating violence and loss of lives in Israel and Palestine, the withholding of humanitarian aid in Gaza, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the persecution of Christians in many parts of the world, for all those who are suffering—I pray for an outpouring of God’s steadfast love. God, be at work in the world today. Turn us from our warring to work together, to be stronger together with one another and with you. Let your love endure forever, and bring true healing, justice, and peace.

A version of this article appeared on Asian American Women on Leadership.