Thousands of people killed in Afghanistan not, this time by conflict, but by a massive earthquake. Hundreds of people killed, maimed or bereaved because of the antics of two warring neighbours. Elsewhere, in the Indian sub-continent, two of the world’s poorest countries, states that cannot even feed all of their own people, spending a quarter of their gross domestic product to produce atomic bombs, bringing the wrath and indignation of the whole world community upon them, as well as endangering their own people and the neighbouring states. In Sudan, hundreds of people continue to die each day because of famine and an uncaring government. In Ireland, extremists and uncaring extremists continue to threaten the fledgling peace that so many people desire. All over Europe, thousands of refugees risk their lives trying to find asylum in the west. At home, our own beloved Queen Mother has died. And what is our media full of…Gary Flitcroft marital meanderings, David Beckham's fractured foot, and Jonathan Woodgate's broken jaw!

What an obscenity that is. What a dreadful indictment of our society, that the antics of a bunch of professional footballers, one of them certainly unknown even to the vast majority of our population, should divert the attention of our media from the real problems of the world - life and death. Doesn’t it make you angry? It makes me furious!

And here we sit in our churches, at the beginning of another long summer (we hope) trying to make sense of our beliefs and our calling against this background.

Well, it was against a similar social background that Jesus lived and worked. Except that the people and nations of those times had other names; the wars were between different nations; people were dying of starvation and drought, while the rich continued to benefit at the expense of the poor. Not so different from today, really.

And so Jesus’ disciples met on the Sabbath, just as we do today, to try to make sense of all that they had experienced and seen and heard - the life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, followed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Startling, amazing, incredible happenings over a three-year period - yet the world continued along its wicked and cruel way.

The question they asked is the same one which people still ask today: “Where is God in all of this? Why isn’t He acting to stop this global mayhem? If God really is omnipotent why isn’t He sorting it out? Where is the justice for the poor and the sick that Jesus promised? Are God’s blessings really worth anything?”

I’m not even going to try to answer any of those questions, because I’m not here to defend God; He’s big enough to look after Himself. All I would say is this: if you value your freedom to come and go as you please (more or less); if you value the ability to make your own decisions in life; if you value even the ability to believe in God or not, then you are half way to answering those questions yourselves.

But if someone asks you where God is in this mess, then the answer is staring them right in the face.

I know that many people are actively involved in various campaigns trying to eradicate much of the poverty caused by stronger nations on weaker nations. I know that some are involved in trying to champion some form of equality among people. I know that many are caring for ailing family or friends; some sit and listen to others who are hurting; some have dedicated yourselves to the care of the elderly, affording them the respect and love which they so earnestly need; some give time to teaching children about Jesus; some to committees that seek to make a difference. Look around you and see what is going on, in your own parish, and see for yourselves what God is doing there. And then consider all the work being done by other Christians within your communities and your nation, quietly, without any ballyhoo. This is God at work, changing the world through love; His Love working in and through each one of you.

Our God may be the God of the Universe, but our God is also the God of the individual - “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…I have seen the affliction of my people…” He cares about each and every one of us. If He didn’t, then He wouldn’t have sent His only Son to suffer and to die as one of us. If He didn’t, then the Holy Spirit would be wasting His time. Whatever we do in God’s name makes a difference, whether we do for one person or for millions.

The disciples asked “Let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied”, to which Jesus replied: “To have seen me is to have seen the Father.” In other words, the very character of God is embodied in Jesus and, because Jesus lives on in us through the Holy Spirit, then we too embody the very character of the Father in ourselves.

So where is God in all this mess? He is right here, right now. Where is Jesus? He is right here, right now. Where is the Holy Spirit? He is right here, right now.

The Divine Trinity, the Three Persons in one, the Godhead, is not a disinterested bystander a million miles away in a place called heaven; He is here, where He always has been and will be, among His people. Remember that when you next look in the mirror. And remember that you can and do make a difference. Praise the Lord.

Who is Gary Flitcroft anyway? I’m sure God loves him.