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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us January 15, 2005 Prayer and the tsunami: Finding the hand of God amid disaster By Carol Kelling For the Tidings Vathan Pandian understands the value of prayer in times of crisis. Vathan, a Malaysian woman, was in a single story hotel on the Sri Lanka coast when the tsunami wave hit in December. Afterwards she wrote to a special friend who shares her faith that, as the waves engulfed her, she prayed a verse from Psalms: "I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord." She says "I was swept away as more of the gigantic waves began to pound on everything. I do not know how to swim ... I asked God 'tell me what to do.' An angel thought said to me 'cycle ... paddle ... use your legs.' And so I did even when furniture around was hitting me and sandwiching me ... "I claimed the omnipresence of God and the omniscience of God ... I notice an iron bar and held on with head and chin up. "I held the mental image of Jesus calming the storm. I lost consciousness for awhile but my grip on the iron bar stayed. When I regained consciousness the water was at waist level ... I walked towards the sound of voices and spotted fisher boys, who graciously held me, helped me until I was on safer ground. "During the night drive (to hilly Kandy), a huge wild elephant monopolized the road at one point. We all kept calm. No more of the herd came along and eventually the drive overtook the majestic jungle king. "I salute the country folks of Sri Lanka ... Muslim ladies gave their scarves to clothe the naked and semi-naked. A Muslim lady gave a long-sleeve shirt to wear and t-shirts and skirts to two young girls who joined our walking group ... Someone passed a bottle of water and we took a tiny sip as we did not want to take advantage of their kindness." And then Vatham ends her account with an unexpected benediction: "Join me and let us celebrate life together." I was startled as I read this invitation. On the surface it seemed such an ironic twist to such a traumatic event. It is difficult to grasp the loss and destruction from this tragedy in Southeast Asia. As the death toll mounts, many feel they can no longer fathom the meaning of the numbers. The aftermath, filled with so many painful discoveries, is slowly giving way to heartening evidence of humanity and community. I believe that for Vatham Pandian, the message about celebrating life goes beyond her obvious relief at surviving the waves. It is at once an invitation and a prescription. Whether feeling overwhelmed by another's loss, or tossed by the threatening waves of our own fear and hardship, taking a more rigorous stand for the enduring tenacity of life may be just what we need to sustain us in the face of severe challenges. For many, a prayerful response in times of trial is as natural as it was for Vatham in her hour of need. Despite any assertion that God is responsible for such disasters, it would be difficult to convince this woman that the God to whom she turned for support was responsible for such destruction. Surely the kindness and practical aid shown by the fisher boys and Muslim women would more closely approximate the universal divine Love, which she identifies as God. In the aftermath of such a heart-wrenching event as the tsunami disaster, we may wrestle with profound questions about the nature of good and evil. Our faith in a loving and just Creator may be severely tested, but grow deeper as a result. Like Vatham Randian, we best hold on to our faith in what is good and noble in ourselves and in our universe. Faith is the iron bar which grounds us in the most trying of times. Kelling is a member of the Christian Science Church in Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Slippers Women's Slippers men's slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weight Loss Programs Memory Foam Mattress college loans alternative student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts Adventure Travel Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation trillion cut diamonds Currancy Exchange Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams