Praying for Japan

First of all, let me say that I join the millions of people around the world right now who are praying for our friends in Japan during this horrible time.  Many have already posted Psalm 46:1-4, but it is very appropriate:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”

For the 2% of the Japanese population that are Christian, I pray that they will be sustained through this fiery trial so that in the end they may be like the believers that Peter was writing to:

“…though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”  (1 Peter 1:6b-9)

Secondly – and as crazy as this may sound – let me say Congratulations on getting through the initial event so well! 

Before people decry my lack of sensitivity, let me explain.  Japan just suffered through the worst earthquake in its history.  The fifth largest in recorded history for the world.  It is officially a “Catastrophic” (with a capital “C”) 8.9, with 79 aftershocks and counting, many of those registering between 6.0 and 7.1.  And yet so many buildings are still standing.  Much of the damage I see in pictures and in the press is caused by the tsunami and the things falling inside the buildings.  The death toll is currently in the hundreds (but expected to surpass 1,000), which is truly devastating, but compare that to Haiti.  Haiti suffered a “Destructive” 7.0 earthquake that literally flattened them and resulted in more than 330,000 deaths.  Haiti is still recovering.  But Japan had the technology and building codes to largely withstand an 8.9.  That didn't help with the tsunami, but nothing stands in the way of a 33-foot tall wave of water.  Japan also had the stability of government that allowed assistance to begin flowing within hours of the event.  That can’t be taken for granted.  (Update: Okay, there is this whole "potential nuclear disaster" thing that is quite disturbing.  Praying that it will get resolved before it's too late.  But I stand by my overall argument.)    

P.S. In case you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a video clip of some news coverage.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OooqbScBC20)  And in case you missed it, that’s a BUILDING floating down the “river”.  I’ve seen a number of big floods in my life, so I don’t get too surprised by seeing cars floating by (although I admit that's a lot of cars).  But that was a BUILDING.  Floating by.  Seriously.