Statement from the Methodist Church

Fri, Jan 16, 2015

We as a Methodist Community here in St Vincent and the Grenadines are saddened by the loss of the lives, emotional and physical injuries on account of the recent tragedy which took place in the morning of January 12, 2015.{{more}}We are confident that God will give the grace needed during this difficult time. We join with the rest of this nation in mourning the loss and are deeply moved by the nature of this tragedy.

We are mindful that this tragedy has not occurred in isolation, as just a little more than a year ago this nation was also plunged in grief and distress by the floods of December 2013 and the recent Paris shooting, as well as the Boko Haram – Baga Village killings in Nigeria have also been experiences of tragic loss. These occurrences cannot simply be coincidence and as such the questions they raise are even more pertinent.

Also of significance is the worship service, hosted by the Ministry of Education last Thursday, January 8, to begin the year. This was organized out of concerns for the tragedies and difficulties faced in the past year. At that service the theme: God’s Grace is sufficient for us, was a reminder that tragedies provide a humbling moment for us to recognise our limitations and need for the power and presence of God.

There is a sense in which tragedies as these always seem misplaced and undeserved. They make a message of an omnipotent and all loving God seem unreasonable and unrealistic. We are confident that even when we do not receive all the answers we seek, if we trust and love God sincerely, all things, including tragedies, will work for our God as a nation. Our prayer is that this time of sadness and grief, anxiety and stirring will woo us to a deeper reflection on who we are as human beings, our responsibility to one another and more than anything else, our need for a deep, meaningful, intimate relationship with God.

We are also extremely grateful to God for the lives of those spared and encourage the nation, amidst the mourning not to forget to give thanks for those who are still with us. We thank God and commend those who risked their lives to rescue others and believe such tremendous selflessness is what is needed for the true development of this nation. Our prayer is that tragedies such as these would not simply be a time of sadness but would prompt a greater value for life, a more caring nation, a nation with a deeper sense of our mortality and fragility and nation with a greater awareness of the presence of and our need of the God.

May God bless us all as we heal from this experience.

Rev Adolf Davis

Superintendent

Methodist Church, Kingstown-Chateaubelair Circuit