Friday, February 25, 2011

Role of the Angels

Well now the people of our sister nation, New Zealand, have been hit with their worst earthquake disaster in living memory. This is truly a shocking thing to behold, with probably more than 100 people losing their lives, including infants. The centre of the city of Christchurch is reduced to rubble.

The sheer savagery of the quake is mind numbing, but its a sobering reminder that we humans live on the surface of this planet subject to the earth's good graces. I work in the centre of Sydney and as I admired the beautiful buildings during my lunch break today, it suddenly hit me what it would be like if the same thing happened to my town.

Yet as reports come through, there are stories of people just getting out of the way of danger in time, of being protected even though they were on the fifth floor of a building that collapsed to the ground. As is becoming usual in these terrible tragedies, I can discern the presence of wonderful helping angels doing as much protecting work as they can.

Some might say well why don't they save everyone then, and of course I can't answer that. All I can say is that I believe the angels do what they can within the boundaries of what they are allowed, and it's my opinion that they do an amazing job.

Add that to the incredible human helpers on the scene - many of which I am proud to say are my countrymen - and it's plain to see that the human spirit continues to endure.

Spare a thought for those suffering through the destruction of their home at this time. We can help heal the world with prayer, and by looking upon the world with a gentle optimism.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Power of prayer, power of intention

As some of you may be aware, Australia was recently staring down the barrel of a category 5 cyclone - one which was going to destroy major cities in the state of Queensland and be bigger than Hurricane Katrina.

But then it veered away from the path of major destruction and its rage was vented on a few smaller townships along the coast. Not that this didn't cause much terror and heartbreak for the residents of these towns, it certainly did. But it could have been a lot worse.

I pray a lot, and as the cyclone was bearing down on Queensland, looking the whole time like this was going to be our biggest ever natural disaster, I said a prayer. As you may also know, Queensland had also just suffered its worst ever floods, with a dozen people dead and thousands without a home. This had already caused such great suffering and sorrow that it seemed that Cyclone Yasi would just be too much for a state and a nation trying to rebuild.

So I said a prayer, and in the prayer I affirmed that the forces of nature have mercy on us, that the cyclone not create harm and instead dissipate harmlessly over the sea.

Now while Yasi did travel inland, it missed the bigger towns and within a couple of days was downgraded from category 5 to 3, from 3 to 2 and finally, 2 to 1.

I am definitely not saying that my prayer alone caused this! But I have a feeling that a LOT of people were praying, not least the people of Queensland who had already suffered so much. I think Australians are a people with a gruff exterior but also very heartfelt, and I have no doubt that faced with the terrifying prospect of this massive cyclone, many of us were praying to be spared.

In the end there was just one casualty of the storm, and sad though that is it is nothing to what could have been. At times like this I feel its so important to have empathy - I imagined what it would be like for me and my family to have to shelter in a shopping centre (mall) along with thousands of others unable to return home. I can barely imagine it but I can imagine the despair and the pain.

I am just thankful that our collective prayers were answered! My intution had said at the time that they would be, and that's what eventuated. I think we need to rediscover the power of prayer, at this time in history we need the help of the angels and the divine powers more than ever! Let's get their loving energies into our lives where they are needed. This kind of prayer need not even be denominational - just pray! And let the divine emissaries of heaven do the rest. That's all it takes!