Pages

Thursday, October 14, 2010

In Thanksgiving


Apparently over a billion people around the world tuned in to watch the rescue of the Chilean miners in San Jose.  Thank God all went well and that all are now safe and sound.  It is surely a miracle that they survived not only the original accident, but those long days underground.  The Chilean bishops in a statement compared the event to Easter Sunday, and indeed I would imagine it is like a rebirth for those men. 

I am most impressed with the oldest, Mario Gomez, who fell to his knees in thanksgiving to God as soon as he was brought up.  Living in the age of the image, that image of the man in prayer may become iconic, and what a positive image it is for faith.  In an interview afterwards he revealed that his time trapped in the mine led him to reflect on many things, including life itself.  "I am changed", he said, "I am a different man".  Another of the miners was more explicit in his reflections.  Mario Sepulvedra, the second to be rescued, said, "I have been with God and the devil.  I siezed the hand of God, it was the best hand.   I always knew God would get us out of here."   He was the miner who went around hugging everyone, dancing in the crowd with joy.  One of the younger men is reported to have said while still in the mine, waiting his turn: "There are 34 of us down here: God is with us."

These expressions of faith can only be positive for the faith.  The fact that all the major news associations and media are reporting these words verbatim can only be good, and may help present faith in a positive light, which is badly needed in these times.    One of the great things about this story, apart from the fact that the men were rescued safe and sound, is that it is a good news story - a happy ending.  We hear so few of them in the media in these times, so it is refreshing. 

Difficult situtations make people reflect on their lives, and that too is good.  I hope many of the billion who were watching may see these events as an opportunity to reflect on their own lives and their relationship with God.  We might ask what we might do ourselves if we found ourselves in a similiar situation.  Would we find God as these men did?  One saying goes, "There are no atheists in a fox hole" - in times of danger it is said that the most radical atheist will turn to some form of prayer. Perhaps.  Knowing some of our modern atheists I'm not sure if that saying would prove universal.  But I hope the images of these men who put their hope and God and were vindicated might touch hearts.  So thumbs up to the media on this one!

I notice from an article on the BBC website, that the men lived according to a timetable, part of which was prayer.  It looks like a monastic horarium.  I'm sure St Benedict would have been impressed. I also learned that St Laurence, after whom the rescue mission was named, is the patron saint of miners: that might come in handy.

No comments:

Post a Comment