Moth and Rust and Hurricane

I have been watching a lot of news stories about the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the past day or so, and I find it really heartbreaking. So many people are being interviewed who are completely distraught because their homes are flooded (some even burned down) and they've lost nearly everything. I can't even imagine what that would feel like...to be forced to leave my home, and to return to find it destroyed along with all of the possessions inside. It must be so unreal.

But even more tragic than the loss of all of those things is the attachment we have to our possessions. I feel that attachment too, as much as I wish I didn't. Of course it's hard to lose everything, and there's no way I can know exactly what that's like because I've never been through it.

Jesus knew of our attachment to material wealth. That's why he said things like "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 13:15) and "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19). People (including me) have an unhealthy attachment to wealth and possessions.

I don't mean to be unsympathetic toward the people who are suffering so much in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. I don't mean to disregard the pain that these people are feeling, many of whom have lost their homes and are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. I'm just saying that this is a reminder to me that things on this earth are temporary. They can be (and often are) destroyed by moth and rust (and hurricane). So what are we to do in light of such knowledge? Jesus says "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:20).

I hope and pray not only that people will find comfort during this difficult time, but that this will cause some people on the to seriously seek Truth in a time where they've lost everything else. I do not rejoice that this disaster has happened, but if even one person turns to Christ as a result of disaster in their lives, then I think THAT is something to rejoice over, because He is the giver of true life, peace, and hope. <3