Chapel Matters

This week Aotearoa NZ is in a National State of Emergency because of the devastation that has occurred due to Cyclone Gabrielle. We will all know people who live in the areas affected and I am sure we are stunned by the images we are seeing and the stories we are hearing. Additionally, if we look further afield to the death and destruction caused by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, we might feel overwhelmed by the tragedy.

What can we do? At times like this we can …

• Give to trusted organisations (such as the Salvation Army or the NZ Red Cross), that are helping – both overseas and here.
• Support and care for those we know in person in practical ways – now in the crisis, but also later as people begin to rebuild their lives.
• We can also cry out to God in our despair, while also praying that God might comfort those who mourn, and strengthen those who are risking their lives to help others.
• We can do what we can to work towards climate justice in our everyday lives.
• We can be grateful for all that we have, never taking the presence of our loved ones for granted, and appreciating all the gifts we have (such as clean water, access to power, secure homes etc.)

As a school, we will be looking at ways we can support our "sister" Anglican school, Hukarere Girls' College, as they are in the badly flooded Esk Valley of the Hawkes' Bay. It is a boarding school and all the students were evacuated safely, but according to a report in the ODT today, the school "suffered significant damage with water lines showing the floodwater reached halfway up the buildings." Your ideas on how we can assist are welcome!