Dear Editor,

The collective heart of our nation is heavy, and Jamaica is, indeed, distraught.

In a beautiful display of our national spirit, many of us, including myself, rushed to answer the cry of the people. We have donated, organised, and mobilised to bring aid to the hardest-hit parishes. We understand the critical importance of meeting physiological needs, food, water, and shelter, for it is these things that keep life functional and comfortable.

But we must not deny the spirit’s deeper sustenance, the vital connection to the One who knows it all as we tend to the body. In these hard times we must remember that there is no greater comfort than abiding in the Lord’s will. He is the One who came to redeem mankind, the One who is never too late to offer a foundation of hope.

My heart was shattered listening to the testimony of a father who endured the unthinkable: His four-year-old child lost to the hurricane, his home becoming a tomb for two agonising days, only to be followed by the devastating news that the child’s mother had also perished. No human being can handle this depth of grief alone. The weight is too immense, the pain too profound.

The Scripture offers a tender and powerful glimpse into the heart of our Saviour: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) These two words, the shortest verse in the
Bible, carry an ocean of meaning. Upon hearing of His friend Lazarus’s death, Jesus did not offer a distant theological platitude. He was deeply moved and entered directly into the grief of those He loved. He saw their tears, and He joined them in their sorrow.

This is our God. He is not a distant, unfeeling monarch, but a compassionate king who draws near to the broken-hearted. He is “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. (Isaiah 53:3) When you feel you can’t go on and the future seems bleak, remember that the king of kings is with you. He collects every tear in His bottle. (Psalm 56:8)

As the Christmas season approaches, its lights and carols may feel dissonant against the backdrop of our national mourning. But let this season remind us of the core of its message: Immanuel, God with us. He did not remain in a distant heaven, untouched by our struggles. In the most vulnerable form, He entered our broken world, bringing us hope that no hurricane can destroy.

To my fellow Jamaicans who are battered, melted, and struck down, hear this word from the Lord: The hurricane is not the end of your story. The Lord is aware of your presence. He hears your cry, and He desires to offer you a care package not of this world, a package of eternal hope and life everlasting.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to a nation in ruins, offering a promise that echoes for us today: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

You shall smile again. You shall rebuild. Do not be overwhelmed by the size of the task or the depth of your grief. Take a stand of faith, even if it is a trembling one, and “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord”. (Exodus 14:13)

Let us continue to offer passages of affection and practical aid to those who suffer. Let our hands be His hands, our compassion a reflection of His. But let us also point one another to the unwavering Rock of Ages, the firm foundation that stands when all else is swept away.

In the aftermath of the storm, when foundations crumble, one throne remains unshaken. He is, and will forever be, the king of kings. Abide in Him, for in His presence is the fullness of joy and the strength to rise again.

Decoy Royal

decoyroyal@gmail.com