(RNS) — There aren’t any phrases.
What does somebody say to the one who has misplaced their house, their church and their complete city?
There aren’t any phrases to explain the gut-wrenching, nauseating ache, there aren’t any phrases that may rise to the floor that can put an finish to the deep sorrow. Within the days after the devastating Palisades hearth, there are merely no phrases.
Individuals ask me what it’s wish to be a pastor within the Palisades proper now, after we have now skilled the lack of properties, our church and our beloved little city. There’s nothing in seminary — and even in life — that may put together you for one thing like this.
Within the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy, it feels as if all the world has shifted beneath our ft. Whereas this isn’t Ukraine, or the horrific warfare that has raged in Gaza, this is horrific. The devastation is so heartbreaking, and so actual.
The city we referred to as house is gone. The homes of my individuals have been diminished to poisonous ash, the church the place we gathered to expertise pleasure and hope is gone — all misplaced to the flames of a voracious, all-consuming hearth.
Up to now week, I’ve discovered myself doing issues that I by no means imagined doing earlier than; being invited to go looking and pray for a cherished one misplaced within the particles, or comforting individuals who now possess solely the garments on their backs, who’ve misplaced every little thing of their world. It might be one factor if we misplaced some properties, however the church nonetheless stood, or the church was burned to the bottom and houses have been saved.
However all is gone.
I’m listening to numerous tales of loss and heartache from my individuals. One nonagenarian lately misplaced her husband to Alzheimer’s, after which, as her stability declined, she was informed she might not drive, and misplaced her automobile and her freedom. The ultimate blow: Her home, her church, her city, her lifetime of over 60 years within the Palisades when up in smoke. Her youngsters arrive tomorrow to select her up and take her to stay with them in Northern California.
She is just not the primary to inform me that she looks like Job.
We gathered for the primary time the Sunday after the fires in a borrowed fellowship corridor from a sister church close by. Individuals walked by means of the doorways shell-shocked and weeping, nonetheless numb from the week’s tragic occasions. However we prayed. And we sang collectively, and we sang by means of the tears.
Psalm 23 tells us, “Yea, although I stroll by means of the valley of the shadow of dying, I’ll worry no evil, for thou artwork with me, thy rod and thy employees they consolation me.” Now’s the time for us to actually maintain tight to those phrases, and to know their deep and actual which means.
However how does one do that?
Whilst a pastor, I don’t have any solutions for these questions proper now. All I do know is that God is looking us to carry tight, to carry quick and to maintain our eyes on God. I’m asking our church to keep in mind that the church is just not a constructing or a spot — it’s her individuals. And we have now to carry tight to this realization proper now greater than ever. We’ve got to be reminded that when in instances of stress, we harm the folks that we love probably the most, as a result of we all know that they are going to all the time love us, however we have to give one another an additional measure of grace and persistence throughout these darkish instances.
We’ve got to keep in mind that God is current in all issues, and thru all issues — we simply have to search for God. We have to search for hope.
How does one consolation somebody who has misplaced all of it? There aren’t any phrases. No magic pixie mud, no incantation, no time machine to erase the ache and loss. Pastors can’t do these issues. However we are able to stroll with our individuals. We will hear. We will cry with them. We will remind them that they don’t seem to be alone.
Within the coming days and weeks and months and years, I do know that we are going to see lovely acts of God that come earlier than us to carry us consolation and hope, and peace and pleasure. I do know this with no shadow of doubt.
We’re all touring collectively on this life, and now, for an awesome lengthy whereas, we have to journey even nearer. Nearer to Jesus, nearer to 1 one other, holding God’s hand, ever so tighter, and each other as nicely.
(The Rev. Grace H. Park, DMin., is affiliate pastor of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, which was considered one of greater than a dozen homes of worship destroyed within the current California wildfires. The views expressed on this commentary don’t essentially replicate these of RNS.)
