When the World Weeps

Images sweep across the tv and computer screen from places like the Indian Ocean, Myanmar, and China. This week we've seen the Philippines in the wake of Tropical Storm Ondoy and the worst flooding there in 40 years. Disasters occur without warning, leaving lives forever changed. We watch, wonder, and weep, but we may find ourselves frozen in responding to events like the tsunami of December 2004 and Chinese earthquake of May 2008. Days pass and headlines shift to other news; we forget that people across the world continue to weep in the wake of unexpected calamities. They are left vulnerable and needy. A great toll is taken, leaving long lasting carnage, specifically in developing nations.

For those who began with so little and then experience devastation, there is a depth of loss that few Americans can relate to. What are the burdens they bear and concerns of their hearts? As people watching from comparatively full lives, how can we help? How can we pray? A glimpse into one life will help us know how to pray when the world is weeping.

Jeff and I were part of a missions team that ministered in Asia, and we made our home on the island of Luzon. I have found myself feeling sick over many of the images I've seen, and my heart is full with wondering about my friends and the millions of others I don't know. When we left Manila in December of 2003, the city had over 13 million people, not including the sprawling suburbs and surrounding regions with tight concentrations of people. For the next few days, I want to share a dear friend with you and how she taught me to pray when the most vulnerable are stricken with disaster and the world watches and weeps.