Smokey Melbourne, Australia
We have friends, a couple who are both retired clergy, who live in Canada for part of the year and in Melbourne, Australia during our Winter. They also love Venice, Italy, and have visited a number of times.
I've been thinking about them hearing about what is happening in both those cities during the past couple of months. Melbourne has been dealing with the heavy smoke of bushfires which are devastating vast areas of the continent. While it eventually rained (an answer to the concerted prayers in churches across the country?) it was brown with soot and dust, and gave way to destructive hailstorms. The environmental disasters of beautiful Australia seem like a series of biblical plagues.
Meanwhile, Venice in Italy has experienced almost unprecedented flooding a month ago, with about two thirds of the city underwater and more than a billion euros in damage done. Historic St. Mark's church was damaged, as were other landmarks.
Our planet is under siege in these days of the climate crisis, and we can't dismiss these catastrophic events as "acts of God." I imagine the Creator is waiting for humanity to get its collective act together for change. The experiences of our friends are a reminder that no matter where we reside, there are people we know who are witnessing the crisis firsthand.
Flooded St. Mark's Square, Venice
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