Where suffering is greatest, God's help is nearest

Emil Bock:  "Christ does not come to mankind if calmness reigns. When he appeared two thousand years ago in earthly-human form, calmness likewise did not reign. Those were times of feverish agitation and harrowing oppression. Then too, humanity suffered the pangs of a new birth. More so today, storms of a new birth rage through the world wherein something struggles to come to light. The saying 'Where suffering is greatest, God's help is nearest' is truly a Christ-related word, for when suffering is at its worst, it is possible to discern from this that he is drawing near who comes for the salvation of mankind.

It would be well if people would not so quickly forget what moved their souls when bombs fell, houses collapsed, and cities went up in flames. A destiny of revelation broke in upon us. Its meaning does not lie in the destruction; it lies in what is rising behind it but is concealed from human sight for the time being. A clarion call by God continually goes out to us. But what happens if the one who is being addressed does not hear? It is like this even among us humans; if we want to tell a person something and he or she does not listen, we have to speak louder. So how can clamorous humanity hear what must be said to them? People can only hear something if one yells at them. Applying this to the overall view of things, this is what we confront in our age."

Source: The Rhythm of the Christian Year, pp. 9-10