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Barnes in Commonthe magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
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Pastoral letterfrom Rev. Barnabas Alexander, a Methodist Minister in the Richmond and Hounslow Circuit
As soon as I had finished conducting the Christmas Day service we travelled up to north London to spend a couple of days with Elizabeth's cousin. On the morning of the 26th we woke to news of 'sea water coming in to claim the land'. This was live Satellite telecast beamed from Sri Lanka and India. The news was very sketchy – the news anchorman himself seemed very confused. So we returned to the manse on the 26th evening with heavy hearts. Elizabeth tried to contact her brother in Batticaloa, on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Phone lines were jammed. Panic set in. In the early hours of the 27th Elizabeth established contact with her brother who is a coroner. He was ill – emotionally drained, having signed death certificates for over 300 children washed ashore. But this was only the beginning. A day later we heard that Elizabeth's sister-in-law's sister's whole family had been swept away. Our phones began to ring non-stop. Members of the London Tamil congregation asked me if I could lead a reflective service at South Harrow Methodist church. This was held on the 28th evening, attended by over 200. People were numb with disbelief. On our drive home I felt strongly that I should go out there. Hesitantly, I asked the family whether they would permit me to do so. Unanimously, they approved my decision. The Superintendent minister, Rev. John Cooke, was splendidly kind and on behalf of the Circuit released me with all blessings. On 1st January I flew out in fear and trepidation. In my luggage I carried some 30 boxes of aid. The London Tamil congregation (Hammersmith Methodist church) entrusted me with £2,500 in order to assess the need and distribute financial relief on the ground. On January 3rd I arrived in Sri Lanka and travelled with Elizabeth's brother straight from Colombo with all my boxes for nearly seven hours to Batticaloa in the Tsunami zone. As we drove through the zone, we saw large deep sea fishing trawlers in the middle of the main street: washing machines, cookers, even human remains, on the tops of coconut trees. We went to the General Hospital. I stopped first at the Paediatric ward. Most of the children had lost their whole family. One little boy showed me his back. The 500mph waves had dashed him against the wall of his home and he then got entwined with the TV cables and the TV set fell on his back. I thought I saw the suffering Christ on his back. I met a 15-year old. Both his legs were broken and he was in terrible pain. When he saw me he wept. His older brother had kept him afloat while he himself was drowning. Our tear-filled eyes met as he said: 'My brother didn't care if he died as long as I lived.' Sadly, the International aid is not reaching the survivors in the Tamil areas, owing to government corruption. It is the NGOs and INGOs who are doing the needful. The days I spent at Batticaloa were busy. What I did was a drop in the ocean of pain. What I saw, however, has affected my spirituality and has most certainly enriched my ministry. In conclusion, I want to thank all for their prayer support without which I could not have managed to undertake such a task We shall overcome! With every blessing, Barnabas |
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