Missing’. The world has been gripped by the ongoing story of the missing Malaysian plane, flight MH370, and the 239 missing people on board. As I write the mystery is deepening as information trickles out. Our deep sympathy is with the family and friends of those who have gone missing. Their pain must be awful as they wait. In all this we wonder how a planeload of people can just disappear in our world of technology. And that word ‘missing’ is so poignant and painful. Missing implies they are somewhere but we cannot find them. It is like where they were is now just a blank screen. Missing creates a limbo that is neither death nor alive. Reflecting on this state labelled ‘missing’ the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew’s Gospel chapter ten came to mind: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." If God keeps track of the sparrows, if God counts the hairs on our head - such a testimony of his minute care and love for us - then no one is ever missing in God’s space. The missing are held is his hands in some way. We may in our limited human experience wonder how or why this tragedy happened, but I am comforted that in God’s eyes they are not missing but known fully.