Restoration in the Wake of Destruction

YESTERDAY I received a letter from an organization appealing for financial contributions to reconstruct homes destroyed by hurricane Andrew. Because destructive storms have often been referred to as ``acts of God," I particularly noticed and appreciated this statement in their letter: ``Like the prophet Elijah of old, we know God is not found in the earthquakes, fires and hurricanes of our lives, but in the still, small voice that calls us to act in love and compassion for each other."

I knew that, especially during hurricane season, many people, including me, made a point of praying about hurricanes. On a number of occasions I had seen oncoming storms stall, change course, and waste their energy in open sea. Prayer certainly can be effective in prevention of discord. Not every storm, however, turns aside, as we have seen all too often! And when a storm does strike, devastating an area, prayer is even more needed. Prayer is immensely important because it leads the way to successful men tal and physical restoration.

As I sat quietly praying about the present, awesome needs for rebuilding, I was deeply grateful for the powerful evidence of love among humanity. As I often do, I turned to my Bible. I opened to Isaiah, where I read: ``O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones."

It struck me that this was a wonderful way to approach the building of a house! God's promise includes stones of fair colors, sapphires, agates, carbuncles. I saw that these could well be thought of as a way of expressing the gemlike, enduring qualities of God, divine Love, and His care for all His creation. This present reconstruction of homes can be carried out by drawing deeply on the spiritual resources that God provides.

When our rebuilding takes place on such a permanent, spiritual basis, it will provide more than simply structures for those who move into the homes. Although moving their individual lives ahead out of the present devastation may take time, each can be strengthened by the divine power reflected in the love that prompts humanity to help rebuild.

There are countless people in the United States and other countries who are contributing to reconstruction of devastated homes and lives. These acts exemplify the love and compassion motivated by God's still, small voice--the very presence of Christ, speaking within individual consciousness. What a united expression of the one family of man, governed by the one Principle, which is divine Love!

The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: ``It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established."

Our desire and ability to accomplish good together need not be reserved just for emergencies and disasters. The divine energy that we call on in renewing the lives of hurricane victims is an endless resource for renewal in the life of every individual, community, and nation and is available to us at all times. As the Bible shows, the power of God stands, ready, full, and supreme, an unrestricted resource for help in every human need. We can turn to Him for help right now.

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