Readings
Jonah 3: 10 - end of 4;
Psalm 145: 1-8;
Philippians 1: 21-end;
Matthew 20: 1-16

Collect
Lord God, defend your Church from all false teaching
and give to your people knowledge of your truth,
that we may enjoy eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Dealing with the unexpected

On Tuesday, 8th September 2020, an event took place in Milton Keynes and its environ that had many people talking and made news headline. At about 9:45am a mini earthquake hit the city with hundreds of residents from across the city reporting that they experienced tremors, some felt their houses and cars shook. Someone said his table moved and he thought it was being moved by a ghost! According to British Geological Survey, the earthquake was recorded at 3.3 on the Richter magnitude scale, which is classed as a minor earthquake, thankfully, there was no loss of life or damage to properties. 

We regularly hear on the news how devastating earthquake can be in other parts of the world and how a lot of things can change suddenly with buildings, roads and other infrastructures collapsing in an instant while taking lots of live with them. 

The mini earthquake here in Milton Keynes should bring into our focus, how tragic events with devastating consequences can come upon us without prior warning, because we all woke up that morning with no one prepared for shaking of houses and cars. This is similar to the ongoing pandemic to an extent, because when we started year 2020 no one could have imagined or prepared for what the world has gone through so far. People have lost their loved ones, some have lost their jobs, some have lost their businesses or the means of livelihood, the economy has shrunk, and it is predicted that it may shrink further. Hence, no one is sure yet what the lasting impact on the economy will be. The question then is, what is our role as Christians in dealing with the unexpected and how are we supposed to respond?

The summation of all the above is that we are presently living in an extra-ordinary time where so much have changed about life as we used to know it due to the various challenges of the pandemic; on the flip of the coin, we also live in a time of extra-ordinary opportunities because it presents us with situations where we can show the love of Christ to those facing one challenge or another. We therefore need to be mindful and be aware of those around us who might have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and provide as much support as we can to such people as they try to make sense of all that they are going through. We might also want to support charities that are particularly working in our communities to support those that are being negatively impacted. 

I dare say that there is no better time to be a Christian as we are current provided with ample opportunities to demonstrate what we confess with our mouth in practical actions. If we claim that we are the disciples of Jesus Christ, we must be ready to do what Jesus Christ would have done in similar situation. We must be compassionate, thoughtful and loving, we must be a source of hope and succour to those in need of our support at this difficult time. The bible says In Romans 13:8  “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” 

The poem below attributed to St Teresa of Avila, is a challenge to each and every one of us.

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
Compassion on this world
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet
Yours are the eyes, you are His body
Christ has no body now on earth but yours
(Teresa of Avila 1515 – 1582)

Adedayo Adebiyi