When the World Quakes

So, this is how it all ends?  She tried to keep her balance going down the stairs as the whole building swayed and the earth trembled and shook. They’d experienced tremors before, some strong, but never this strong and never this long. Fear had her hair standing on end.

They’d woken at 2.40am, their beds shaking and windows rattling.

‘Dad! It’s an earthquake, we’ve got to go!’ panicked the daughter, who had never emerged from her bed so rapidly.

The other daughter was not far behind as they made their way out the door, passing by the bookshelves as the picture frames leaped around like they were on strings.

But the daughter is in her undies.

They found each other at the bottom of nine flights of stairs with a small group of neighbours gathering.

But the daughter is in her undies.

Seeing others made them feel a little more secure and the tremor passed. Other families joined them, wrapped up in cuddly blankets and dressing gowns, one family had their dog.

The dog! The dog was forgotten.

The dog was forgotten, and the daughter is in her undies.

She notices that everyone else has shoes on.

The dog was forgotten, the daughter is in her undies and we are all in bare feet.

She notices that everyone else is on their phones, thumbs flying madly.

The dog was forgotten, the daughter is in her undies, we are all in bare feet and we have no phone.

She looks to her husband. He is standing there… in his undies.

Oh dear.

They learnt that they had done everything wrong. They shouldn’t move in an earthquake and they definitely shouldn’t go downstairs. They should have a bag ready, with food and clothes and a torch and things.

She learnt that change can happen in a moment, with no time to plan or prepare, she was caught with her guard down, her family literally not just with their pants down, but with no pants at all.

It was a massive 8.0 tremor that lasted over 2 minutes. She feared aftershocks. There were none. She thought she’d never sleep again. She did, because of this verse: ‘When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.’ Psalm 75:3. She is held.