Earthquake in Afghanistan
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people, and that number is certain to increase as rescuers work to reach mountainous villages flattened by the quake. Casualties are higher due to the fact the quake struck in the middle of the night and many in the region live in structurally weak homes.
Afghanistan is controlled by the Taliban, which is designated as a terrorist organization by much of the world, significantly complicating relief efforts.
Analysis and eternal perspective: Natural disasters can bring devastation to any region at any time, and it is extraordinarily difficult—even impossible in accordance with 1 Cor. 13:9-12—to comprehend why such things are a part of life here on Earth.
It is clear, however, that you are to be an agent of comfort and compassion when tragedy strikes those around you (2 Cor. 1: 3-4). As you pray for those who are living under Taliban rule and are now facing the devastation of an earthquake, ask your loving heavenly Father to show you how to best serve in this trying moment. Perhaps you can support a relief effort, or maybe there is someone in your community with a family connection to those impacted. Ask the Lord how to model His care and compassion into this circumstance, and let this story be a reminder to search your own heart as you journey through this temporary place on the way to your eternal home.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.