“ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:1-5

Nonbelievers always ask me, “Why do you believe in a God that lets disastrous things happen to innocent people?” This question used to stump me completely. I still don’t have all the answers. All I really know for sure is that if God leads me to it then He will lead me through it. All of us at one time or another face difficult or seemingly impossible situations in our life. All of us feel alone or forsaken at those times too. It’s normal to feel that way. We are self-centered beings. We experience things on an individual level. Even as a group we feel only our feelings and not the feelings of someone else.

With this latest terrorist disaster, I felt the old nagging feelings creeping up on me. Why did all these people have to die? What could possibly be the purpose here? I felt so sad for the families and friends of those who were killed. I felt sorry for those who survived and are left to search for their family members and friends only to not find them again. How do we explain to our children that one small group of people have hurt so many? It was shocking. Just like the World Trade Centers, and Columbine High School; and with war in Iraq still going on and so many soldiers dying, how much more will our children have to live with? I turned my eyes to heaven again for what seemed like the billionth time already this past year. I asked God to take care of the families of those that died and help them through this tough time. I asked Him to send reassurance that the bigger picture will be revealed and that hope is in the eternal, not the material.

Prayer is the one place that we are equal. We can pray together and be completely in tune with each other. All our disagreements can be put aside at the foot of the cross. Paul was imprisoned for preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. He could have been asking like we do, why me God? Instead we see him here reminding those believers in Ephesus not to lose hope. He tells them not to give up on each other and to join together as one body before the Lord God. We can also benefit from these words. In these uncertain times before Christ comes back, hold onto the hope that is eternal and build each other up in love. Join together before the Lord in prayer asking for His will and His protection until He comes for us. Remember, it’s only going to get worse until the rapture, so hold onto the faith, reach out for each other, and cling to the promise of life ever-lasting that Jesus gave us.

Marianne Williamson puts it this way in her book Everyday Grace :

"...The fact remains that there are things we cannot know. Whatever is happening is simply happening. And, from a spiritual perspective, anything negative that happens has only one purpose: to foster compassion in the human heart. Anything can fuel the fires of compassion if our hearts are open wide enough. As it is written in the Bible, "What man has intended for evil, God intends for good." Even the most horrific situations can increase with in us our capacity to love."

I completely agree...

If you have loved ones in the London area and can't reach them...Here is the link to the Red Cross with directions on how to use their services to find them:
http://www.redcross.org.uk/news.asp?id=47814