Chaos at Creeslough Word on the Week 8th October 2022.
The village of Creeslough was ripped apart by a massive explosion. It occurred at 3.00pm yesterday. It was one of the busiest times of the day for the filling station, shops and flats. At the present time ten are dead and many injured.
Rescuing people has taken precedence over accident investigation. JCB’s have been removing the lumps of concrete and rubble from the front of Applegreen Filling Station in a search for those trapped by what is thought to have been a gas explosion.
The village of Creeslough has been immortalised in the poem “The Emigrant’s Letter”. It is a nostalgic piece with the writer looking back – “Oh it’s well to be you that is takin’ yer tay, Where they’re cuttin’ the corn in Creeslough today.
When the tower of Siloam collapsed killing 18 people, those recounting the incident to Jesus were inclined to the opinion that they were somehow worse sinners and deserved it (St Luke Chapter 13 verses 4 to 5). Jesus regularly has compassion on those who suffer but in this case he firstly disabused the idea of the dead deserving their fate then, addressing the people directly, called them to repentance.
The random nature of accidents is a feature of a world gone wrong. Everything is affected. The daily newspaper confirms it. The world is in a mess. The Apostle John concludes his first letter by writing about the world order being under the control of the evil one. He goes on to portray Jesus as the complete saviour for time and eternity (1 John Chapter 5 verses 19 to 20).
This leads on to this week’s question in the ‘What’s the Story’ campaign which could be paraphrased “What am I here for”? The Apostle would say you are here to be born again. Just as we all have a physical birth we require a spiritual birth to enter God’s kingdom (St John Chapter 3 verses 3 to 5).
Willie Still the preacher used to say we were on probation! But that implies that we can do something to qualify for the Kingdom whereas Jesus has done it all. Our task is to repent and place our God given gift of faith in Jesus atoning death. So that we can say “In my place condemned He stood”. And because He rose from the dead Jesus will ensure his death accomplished all he intended (2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 21).
We extend our sympathies to all who mourn the loss of loved ones or are injured by yesterday’s explosion. The greatest comfort of all is to know that one’s dearest whether alive or dead are safe in the arms of Jesus. May it be so for many who sorrow today.