While those of us who live here in Australia wait anxiously to see who is going to become our next Prime Minister after such a close federal election, let's be sure to lift our eyes and realise that we are only one small part of what is now a global village. We live in a networked world and through technology we can be instantly aware of what is taking place anywhere on the planet. This can become overwhelming at times but we can also become numb and immune to the issues and suffering that others are experiencing right now.
God is clearly at work. He is building his church and expanding his kingdom, more often than not in in hidden and subversive ways. At the same time, we live in a fallen world where tragedy and calamity occurs every day, affecting someones life forever. Every now and then it pays to turn on a world news program such as SBS to avoid becoming overly Australia-centric. Right now we can think of 33 workers stuck in a mine in Chile, 17 million people affected by recent floods in Pakistan, landslides in Turkey and fires in the Philippines. That's in addition to wars taking place and our global economy still trying to recover.
What can we do? We can pray – for Christians, church leaders and workers in these places, and for those who do not know Christ to become aware of God's love for them … even during difficult times. Intercessory prayer (praying for the needs of others) enables us to partner with God and what he is doing … anywhere in our world. It also gets our eyes of off ourselves for a moment and on to the needs of others.
I think the quote of John Wesley “The world is my parish” is a wonderful attitude of heart for christians to have.