DHAKA, Bangladesh - More than 900 bodies have been recovered in Bangladesh following a devastating tropical cyclone, but local news reports put the death toll at more than double that figure.
I received an email from a friend in Calcutta a few days ago asking for prayer as they were expecting a major cyclone to hit, and had been warned to stay in their homes. She remarked at the time that she felt bad praying for the cyclone to miss calcutta, as she knew that it would just hit somewhere else.
A couple of days later another email told me that she had heard that the cyclone had moved eastward, and would not be hitting Calcutta, but Bangladesh instead. Below is an article from CNN, along with some extra photos from the BBC website. Perhaps the statistics would have been a lot worse if the storm had hit the crowded streets of Calcutta that I witnessed in August.
People often say "if there was a God then he wouldn't allow the suffering caused by natural disasters". I don't fully understand it either. Actually I'm not expecting to be able to understand a lot of things in this life, but I do believe that God is just, and our understanding of how he hands out his justice is very limited.
I believe that much more human suffering is caused by man's complacency than by natural disasters. Perhaps events like these help to awaken human-kinds sense of compassion and mercy that so often lies dormant, and brings about some form of a greater good? I don't know.
Our perspective of natural disasters is based on our understanding of this temporary and fleeting physical existance we call "life" But I believe that God's understanding of "life" goes much much further. I believe in a life that continues beyond the grave, and gives a great hope to people who have had to suffer in this life.
Although I cannot begin to comprehend eternal and righteous judgement, I know a man who can, and about 2010 years ago he said when he was surrounded by crowds of people (possibly living similar lives to many of the people that have been affected by the cyclone in Bangladesh)
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew Chapter 5)- did you notice that Jesus-the-son-of-God said that people who are poor in spirit posess the kingdom of heaven? Did you notice the people who will be blessed?- Mourners, meek, righteous, merciful, pure in heart. There was not a lot of room there for people who sit at home criticising others and going to Church once a week (I'm sorry if this attitude offends some of you). Jesus also said that a good tree bears good fuit, and that a tree will be known by its fruit.
Some people who look at the Church today do not see God's love being acted out, but instead see people focusing on conversion and salvation, preaching damnation for anyone who has not put their faith in Christ.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Chalke, a remarkable Christian, and someone who is not afraid to make a difference. He started an organisation called "Oasis" about 20 years ago. That organisation has accomplished so much around the world to help the suffering and afflicted, and I have recently been involved in a small way with an HIV/AIDS project they have recently started in Mumbai.
Steve Chalk recently wrote a book, and I haven't read it, but I believe it said something about Jesus not paying for our sins on the cross. The Christain west has been outraged, and I believe he has received a lot of criticism. Someone told me yesterday that he has been basically excommunicated from evangelical christian circles. I don't know if that is entirely true.
What I do know is entirely true is that I can only admire a man who realises that what he believes goes against the grain, but rather than go with the flow, grow old, and die without telling anyone, he is willing to be different. Willing to think outside the box, willing to stand firm. Couldn't we ALL stop-just-doing-things-the-same-way-that-everyone-else-is-doing-them. God has called us to be willing to step outside our comfort zones to make a difference for him.
What I do know is that through oasis Steve Chalke is reaching out and saving lives all around the world. He is showing poverty stricken Indian Prostitutes with HIV the love of God. He has orphanages. He has health projects. He is impressive.
He has recently been given a huge contract by the government in England to build about 8 new academies. He is establishing a cutting edge youth centre in an old cinema in Clitheroe (where we're moving next year). Has the wider body of the evangelical church done better?
I really fail to see how this man is not a powerful and positive force being used by God for good.
I find it hard in my heart to criticise the man. What have I accomplished in comparison to him? Do I know scripture better? I doubt it. Do I go to Church more often? Do I pray more? Do I Feed orphans and widows more often?
I may not agree with his doctrine, but I don't think that is centrally important. What I think is more important is to recognise the fruit in his life, and to focus on producing fruit in our own lives.
For me the central concept of being a Christian is loving God and loving your fellow man, and Steve Chalke touched upon this passage of scripture in his talk yesterday-
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? "Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." If all the Law rests on love, lets just get on and do it, and stop worrying about the detail.
Families stand amid the wreckage caused by the cyclone Friday in southern Bangladesh.
This new-born baby, cradled by its grand-mother, survived, and has been called cyclone
As flood waters recede, aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done. They face debris-blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications.
The government said on Saturday that at least 915 bodies had been recovered, but news media, including a United News of Bangladesh report put the death toll at 2,000.
United News said it had reporters deployed across the cyclone region.
Cyclone Sidr, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph (210 kph), made landfall Thursday night along the western coast of Bangladesh near the border with India, unleashing floodwaters.
"We still don't really know the extent of the damage. There are so many areas inaccessible," World Vision spokesman Vince Edwards, who is in the capital Dhaka, told CNN.
Adding to the tragedy is the loss of rice crops, normally harvested in December, Edwards said.
In Dhaka -- about 200 miles north of the worst-hit region -- there were power outages, massive traffic jams and spotty phone service, CNN's Cal Perry said from the city.
"From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said.
Elephants help move fallen trees that have blocked many roads and hampered the efforts of relief workers trying to reach stricken areas.
Areas along the coast received the brunt of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The worst-hit districts were Patuakhali, Barguna and Jhalakathi. Sixty percent to 70 percent of homes in those areas were destroyed, according to local officials.
Nabiha Chowdhury, spokeswoman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said 150 fishing boats were missing. The fishermen may have been caught in the storm and were unable to return to land, she added.
Chowdhury said about 600,000 people had fled, adding about two million people lived along the coast. She said the latest number of people injured was 15,000 with 1,000 missing.
Tousands of people have fled to state cyclone emergency shelters
It is possible rainfall from mountains will swell rivers, and by Sunday night or Monday the surge could reach already flooded locations in Bangladesh.
Sidr's powerful winds and lashing rain uprooted trees, leveled homes and even damaged buildings where residents sought shelter. Video footage from the height of the storm showed high, rolling waves along the coastal areas and winds blowing so hard palm trees were flattened.
Video footage shot from a helicopter Friday showed villages flattened and large numbers of people without shelter.
The U.N. World Food Programme announced it has enough high-energy biscuits to feed 400,000 people for three days.
Members of the Bangladesh army and navy were trying to help.
Bangladesh has a long history with deadly cyclones.
In 1991, a devastating cyclone killed at least 140,000 people, according to the United Nations. And in 1970, Cyclone Bhola struck Bangladesh -- then East Pakistan -- killing 500,000 people. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considers that storm to be the 20th century's "greatest tropical system disaster."
While the storm was one of the worst in the last hundred years to hit the country, improved warning systems and shelters have kept the number of deaths far lower than the disastrous cyclones of 1970 and 1991, when the death tolls were in the hundreds of thousands.
How old do you think this govenrment building is? 100 years? 200 years? Nope, it is 5 years old, and constructed entirely of concrete! Impressive though.
The inside of Sultan Tipu's palace. It was constructed entirel from wood. He was a great military strategist, and defeated the British with long-range ballistic missiles, which looket alittle bit like large "rocket" fireworks!
Possibly the high-light of the tour for me was this cow lying acros the central reservation of a busy junction! You see cows everywhere. They are sacred, and so no-one eats them. They can become quite mangy and sick looking- ironic really. One might have been forgiven for thinking that this cow pictured must have been a victim of a hit-and-run, as it certainly couldn't have chosen to lie in such an uncomfortable position. Shortly after this photo was taken though, the cow got up and walked off!!!!
Just a cool guy! I think this will remain one of my favourite portraits for some time.
...I managed to get one picture of a red flower especially for my father-in-law John! It's only a wee bit past it. (he likes taking photos of flowers!!) 
In India it is often the traffic that stands still, but not at this busy junction, thanks to the help of Bangalore's finest!
Window cleaning anyone?
On approach to the Bull temple. There is some link to one of the God's - Laxmi perhaps (the goddess of wealth). I think she rides on this bull. Or it might be Shiva - the goddess of creation and destruction. I'm not too hot on Hindu theology. 
This is the statue of a bull, around which the bull temple is constructed. As I walked around the back of the bull, some young lads who had been selling trinkets outside came and introduced themselves as guides, and proceeded to ask me for some money. They made a bit of a show of seeming holy- presumably to impress me into giving them more money- however their pretence collapsed somewhat when some other devotees dropped some money into a small offering at a shrine, and one of the lads quickly looked around and shoved it in his pocket. 
