‘The wise man built his house
upon the rock’ is a phrase which keeps to coming into my mind as I reflect on
the turmoil of the winter’s floods. By now people are hopefully beginning, at
least, the long process of putting their homes, and their lives, back together.
Obviously the short term priority is to enable them to return to a close
resemblance of what they had before, although it can never be the same. And
that involves examining what can be done to limit the possibility of it
happening again.
The long term problems are
different. There is no doubt that we have sleep-walked into the situations we
now have in so many parts of the country. But statistics show that we have had
the worst conditions since records began. We may have to accept that
eventually, however beautiful some of these places may be to live, the changing
weather patterns will be too much for human activity to compete with.
All over the world human beings
have, for reasons of heart or simple economics, chosen to live in places
vulnerable to flood, tsunami, avalanche or any other natural disaster which is
part of the nature of our world. Part of the cost is the element of risk. I
guess that the practical wisdom is recognising how firm the rock is. The folly
is in failing to accept responsibility for the choices we make.
Places like the Somerset Levels
have been made habitable once and, while we cannot assume that they will always
be so in time to come, there is still a lot which can be done to preserve the
way of life which has been so severely disrupted this winter. There is a large
cost but the longer it is left the larger the cost will be. It isn’t enough to
blame the Government or the Environment Agency; load all the responsibility
elsewhere. Residents need to dig deep, not just to repair the damage to their
lives but also to raise the productivity of the area and justify the cost. And
they need the support to do this.
The compassionate response of the
nation to the plight of those devastated by the floods has been heartwarming.
It shows the potential that exists in this country. Yet more is required. Why
does it take disaster to bring us together? How quickly will we return to our
insular lives and forget the needs of others? God’s Justice requires that we
live in a right relationship with one another and with the world. The world is
his; it is alive and has a right to erupt, shake and rage in a storm. We need
to learn again how to live in harmony with the world rather than seeking to
subdue and control. We may harness the forces of nature but we must always
acknowledge that Nature is too powerful for human resources to overcome.
Likewise with people, we need to
learn again to cooperate; to support and serve – not just spasmodically but at
all times, and appreciate the current irony of Amos 5:24 – Let justice roll on like a river; righteousness like a never ending
stream.
Graham
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