Imagine God allowed a gigantic tsunami, 100 times worse than the Sandy storm, hit the coasts of America resulting in many millions of casualties.  Don´t you think the political and clerical leaders would stop fighting one another and rather get on their knees?  Many would, “the common people” not the least, and by the way, that has happened before, I believe, during the days when the nation was cobbled together and a draft for the constitution was made more than 200 years ago.

After World War II Denmark again got her own government, but this time it was a coalition government put together by all the political parties.  Political disagreements were forgotten for a while.  Something more important was on the agenda.  Denmark as such was on the agenda.  That harmony didn´t last long however.  God was not there, and soon everything went on as before.

In his autobiography “JUST AS I AM” Billy Graham tells a story from his childhood´s farm where he one day happened to lock up a dog and a cat together in the dog house.  They hated each other, but had to spend a whole night there.  In the morning the hatred had gone. They were now friends.  To Billy that was an object lesson on how it should be possible for fighting parties to get along when they really have to.

Last Sunday the programmed and relevant sermon text in the Lutheran State Church was  on Luke 13:1-5.  The Lord´s commented on a recent catastrophe saying, “Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish!”   The Sandy catastrophe is likewise a message of repentance to the rest of the world.  Instead of raising fingers we should heed His words, as repentance starts with us, God´s people. 1 Pet. 4:17

The gravity of the hour calls for our humiliation before God akin to what happened in the 9th chapters of Nehemia, Ezra and the book of Daniel and not for frivolous platform shows, drums and cymbals.

October 31, 2012 –jn-