While my location just outside of Richmond only received rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, the devastation to areas of Virginia, as well other states received, was hard to comprehend even while seeing the video footage. It’s a reminder to us all of what matters most.

Perhaps it was the fact that the children’s catechism class that I assist with had just reviewed the story of Noah the previous Sunday, because seeing the volume of water that covered buildings and washed away bridges had me wondering if this was similar to the flood recorded in Genesis. My heart goes out to those affected, especially in landlocked states like Tennessee and Kentucky who aren’t normally receiving the brunt of a hurricane. It’s a painful reminder that however much we think we can control things, we are not God; we cannot control the wind, the waves, or the rain.

To some it may seem coincidental that the Old Testament Mass reading for Monday was that of Job 1:6-22. It recounts how the messengers were the only survivors to the destruction of Job’s family and livestock and they arrive one after another to announce their grim news.  At the end of the passage is one of the most famous lines from Scripture, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” (Jb 1:21) With the minor issues that I face, even if I say something similar, it’s with a bit of a heavy heart. It all comes down to trusting the Lord. Logically it makes sense, as God is the creator of all. Even if He could explain to us why an unfortunate event happened, it would never bring us peace of mind or true understanding because we lack the depth of His infinite mind. 

To me coincidences are God’s way of showing up in our lives. With this most poignant reading so quickly after a natural disaster, I think it prompts  all of us to consider what is of most value to us. Not an object that we want to make sure we save, but rather the relationships we nurture and how we choose to spend the time God gives us. First and foremost is our relationship with God; do we take the time daily to pray and communicate with Him? Do we live our lives in conjunction with His precepts? Do we pursue a relationship with Him today so that when our life on earth ends we will want and be able to join Him? How do we treat those He has placed in our daily lives? Do we see Jesus in those we meet and respect them as being fellow children of God? These questions may be ones we think about during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent, but they should not be far from our minds, nor should we only ponder them in those seasons. 

It is a tragedy that some people, even whole communities, lost their entire homes and businesses. Worse still are those who lost their lives either during the storm or as a result of it. Perhaps to God they had completed their time, but to their loved ones, I’m sure they felt the loss was way too soon and there was much more time they wanted to spend with them. While property damage can be calculated to a dollar amount, the life and impact of a person can never be measured adequately. The only number the media uses is the total count of lost lives but those lives will not be discussed by the media as much as the efforts to repair and rebuild will be covered.

While a natural disaster does bring chaos and leaves turmoil in its wake, no matter if we are immediately affected by it or not, we can use this opportunity to grow closer to God, our family, and neighbors. Additionally it gives us the opportunity to bring the light of Christ to those who are suffering in whatever small ways we can participate to lessen the burden they face in rebuilding their lives.