For days now we have been giving voice to our justifiable outrage at the Southern California fire situation – outrage at policies and people that made this situation so harmful and so deadly.  Those that are interested have seen tales of the famous and their displacement.  But that said, so many are affected.  The next big issue will be where and how to house the massive numbers of displaced.  There simply is not enough hotel and rental space for all those people.  Within the not-so-famous there are numerous stories of deep tragedy and loss.  I recall 9-11 where we so painstakingly looked into the lives of those killed and worked so hard to remember them all.  While the loss of life in this situation is far less, the tragedy is equally immense.  I want to share just two stories from my circle of friends and acquaintances.

One, a couple, both performing musicians, that had moved from our neighborhood to a nearby one some years ago to give their children a better education – at severe financial hardship.  The pandemic, of course, killed work for performing musicians and they were forced to sell their home.  They rented in the area so that their children could finish school in the same district – a milestone recently reached.  And last September they had, finally, purchased a new home and moved in, once again reaching a stable financial footing.  But no more.  Here we are just four months later and that new, dearly beloved home is a total loss.

Two.  There is a young man I have known since he was a very young boy, his parents being dear, dear friends.  He and his wife had their first child just a couple of years ago and discovered very soon thereafter that his wife had breast cancer, very aggressive breast cancer as it usually is in young people.  She has waged war on that disease while caring for a newborn, come toddler.  It has only been in the last six months or so that she completed all the treatment and could once again breath as a post-cancer person.  That couple and young child’s home is a total loss.

These are just two tales out of thousands and thousands.  In our anger and rage we cannot lose sight of the very real loss and tragedy these fires have produced.  While we justifiably shake our fists at an officialdom that visited these tragedies upon us, we must also love, comfort and care for the victims.

There is always comfort in the Psalms.  The 30th Psalm concludes:

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

We wail now, but God will turn the wailing into dancing.  Sometimes scripture is over quoted to the point of rendering it trite.  The 23rd Psalm could fit into this category.  But I cannot think of better words this morning.  I have endeavored to read it this morning as if I have never seen it before and I urge you to do likewise: