Tragedies are Times for Testing Priorities

The main lesson I learned is that tragedy forces us to reexamine our priorities in a way that we simply do not do during normal times of comfortable living. What are your priorities?

Traveling home in the state of Oregon on a recent Saturday afternoon, my wife and I got word that our neighborhood was being evacuated due to a forest fire in nearby La Pine State Park. Unlike many others who were evacuated, we were not even able to retrieve items from our home because we were out of town when the evacuation order was issued.

As we drove past the turnoff to our home community of La Pine, we were sobered by the sight of a large plume of smoke rising into the air, pushed northeast by gusty southwest winds, heading straight for our property. We were fortunate to spend the night with relatives in nearby Bend, Oregon but it was a long night of waiting and wondering.

Our trauma was short-lived with a happy ending. We were able to return home Sunday night with no damage to our home or surrounding property, thanks to the outstanding work of firefighters and forest service personnel.

Our frightful experience is dwarfed by the suffering resulting from the catastrophic devastation wrought that same weekend by Hurricane Katrina. The TV news is still enumerating the mind-numbing details even as I write. The aftermath of the storm brings additional problems and suffering. Recovery will take years. Some are already describing this as the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.

I cannot claim to comprehend the magnitude of this disaster or the suffering of the victims and their loved ones. But our brief and relatively minor brush with danger has left me with a perspective on tragedies that I would like to share.

As we helplessly waited out our evacuation, not knowing the fate of our property and belongings, my wife and I had lots of time to think. As we assessed the situation, our main thought was, come what may, God would see us through. We have what is most important in this life—each other. All the rest is just "things." The few items that we had with us from our weekend trip now seemed like luxuries.

The main lesson I learned is that tragedy forces us to reexamine our priorities in a way that we simply do not do during normal times of comfortable living. What are your priorities? Matthew 6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
See All... tells us to, "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." God's righteousness is based on love. So love must also be our priority.

Romans 8:31-39 [31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
[32] He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
[33] Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
[39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

See All... tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Many may ask where is the love of God in such horrific devastation? Part of the answer to that question lies with you and me and other people throughout the nation and around the world whose lives have not been shattered by this tragedy.

Jesus said loving others as ourselves is the second greatest commandment that combines with love of God to form the foundation of the rest of the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. (Matthew 22:36-40 [36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
[38] This is the first and great commandment.
[39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
[40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

See All...). The parable of the sheep and goats tells us that the determining factor between those invited to "enter into the joy of the Lord" and those "cast into outer darkness" is our response (or lack thereof) to human needs and suffering (Matthew 25:31-46 [31] When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
[32] And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
[33] And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
[34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
[36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
[37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
[38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
[39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
[41] Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
[42] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
[43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
[44] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
[45] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
[46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

See All...): "I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in; I had no clothing, and you gave it to me."

The magnitude of Katrina is mind-boggling. But BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. prophecies, including Matthew 24:21-22 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

See All..., foretell a time of far greater suffering during "the Great Tribulation (trouble, distress, hard circumstances, suffering). It will strike suddenly as in the time of Noah when, "People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away" (Matthew 24:39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
See All...). As in our evacuation, many will not have time to go back into the house to retrieve personal items (compare Matthew 24:17-18 [17] Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
[18] Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

See All...).

RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 3:10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
See All... speaks of this unprecedented time of trouble as, "the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." So the greatest time of testing lies yet ahead. The world also has many bitter lessons yet to learn.