The downing of flight MH17 is a tragedy. Just four months ago another Malaysian Airlines jet disappeared without a trace and now this. Most media agencies are still giving updates on the investigation but who knows if we will ever really know what happened. There are international politics at play and the stakes are high, with some parties having much to lose.
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As Christians, this sad event reminds us that evil is real. No doubt there are those who do not believe in absolute good or evil, and that everything is relative. If this is so then the investigation might just as well cease now. If evil is not real, then surely no one needs to be called to account. But the fact of the matter is, the shooting down of a passenger flight is wicked and it is no wonder that the global community (our own government included) cries out for justice.
MH17 is also a reminder that evil affects everyone. There were all sorts of people on that flight, but none of them deserved the disaster that befell them. Two of the Australians on board are stark reminders of this. One was a nun who had just come back from a spiritual retreat. She was described as, "a woman of astonishing grace, great charm, and above all, a gentleness." Another was a part-time Bible college student, "remembered as a quiet, hard-working and devout young Christian". Truly God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the good and the evil (Matthew 5:45.)
As the people of God, we should also always be mindful of what goes on in the world around us. No doubt when the fighting began in Ukraine there were many in Australia who would have thought, "It is so far away, it will not affect us here."
The world is becoming smaller and the webs that links us all are tighter than we sometimes think. If we truly believe that all people are made in the image of God then we should grieve when tragedy befalls our fellow man or woman, regardless of where they might be.
Sources:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-19/sydney-nun-and-mh17-victim-given-emotional-farewell/5609216
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