A massive earthquake hit the north coast of British Columbia this evening at around 8PM. It  was centred near Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), but was felt across a large part of the province. Thankfully all the reports I have read suggest that there is little to no damage and, more importantly, no human trajedy. A tsunami warning has been issued for the coast of the province, but at half a metre, it's not likely to do much damage either (a couple of small waves have already hit Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island).

Hundreds of thousands of people who survived the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan remain emotionally traumatized by these tragic events.

This catastrophe, like similar events in New Zealand and Haiti, offers us a unique opportunity to reach out to our fellow human beings to offer solace.

We are inviting individuals and congregations to echo the opening words of the United Church's Creed "We are not alone," and to post prayers and messages of comfort and solidarity for our Japanese sisters and brothers living in Japan and in Canada.

Hi Friends,

This was posted on the United Church website today and I thought I would share it here as well. It's a pogniant article by former Moderator Peter Short, updated in response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

As I watch the news today,

and tragic events unfold,

the cameras are running,

as the stories are told.

Seeking the heart of God from James Murray on Vimeo.

Tragedy and trouble struck one day,

The earthquake wiped my whole village away.

As I stand amidst the dust and rubble

5.5 - 5.7 on the Richter scale, epicentre somewhere around Ottawa...

Is everyone OK? Tell us where you were when the ground shook today.