The cause of the incident has to be thoroughly investigated to bring closure to the victim’s families.  A lesson could also be learned from it so as to prevent similar incidents from happening again.  Such is the responsibility of humans.  But, there’s another lesson that we need to learn—to humble ourselves before God, to admit our limitation and weakness, and that there are still things that we could not figure out.   With new breakthroughs in technologies that could analyse vast amount of data (algorithms that could detect patterns within large amounts of random data, which successfully found the source of the circle line faults), we have more confidence in controlling and directing more sophisticated systems.  This creates a false picture that humankind could outwit God in anything.

King Solomon, the author of the book of Ecclesiastes, wrote thousands of years ago : “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecc 3:1).  Who, therefore sets times and seasons? “He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fanthom what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Ecc 3:11).  Everything that happens in the world had happened under God’s control and approval for reasons that you and I could not have comprehended.  Why does God work this way? “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.  God does it so that people will fear him” (Ecc 3:14).  It is during times of disasters that humankind realise their own helplessness.  And it is also during such times that humankind will humble themselves to seek God.  Christians are no different.  Even after we have believed in Christ, we too tend to overestimate our abilities, believing that our success comes from our hard work and not what is given by God.  We regard our good health as a result of a healthy diet instead of God’s gift and care for our well-being.  We are just like a toddler who has just learnt to walk, grabbing anything that is within sight, but never seeing the surrounding dangers.  God is the ever protective parent who stays by our side to fend off any threat.  Therefore, there is nothing for us to brag about.  Instead, we should always be thankful for God’s favour.  Had it not been for God’s preservation, our very existence would be in question. 

There are things we do not understand in life and the author has given us a few examples in the book of Ecclesiastes.  One thing, however, is certain.  In his conclusion he wrote: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of mankind.  For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecc 12:13-14).  We could be at ease because we know that our life, breath, work, and family are all under our loving God’s control.  At the same time, we know that nothing goes unnoticed with God.  He judges every deed.  Therefore, we need to be in awe and ask God to help us to constantly reflect upon ourselves and to stay alert as we live our lives.