Tornados and Neighbors
We’ve been in northern Alabama near Fort Payne since Monday. We’ve met many hard working, compassionate people here at base camp. The night we got here, about 100 people filtered through who had been out clearing debris and ministering to folks. They were from Tennessee.
An Adventures in Missions team was already here who are on their way to minister in Chicago for the summer. They stopped off here first to help out before beginning their trip. They are from all over. What a blessed group!
A team of 11 drove in from New York of people who were willing to work on top of tin roofs in the Alabama 90+ degree weather. They are a well-oiled machine of hard-working, dedicated New Yorkers. We’ve had a wonderful time getting to know and pray with these folks. Here are a few of them.
…which one proved to be the neighbor? The one who showed mercy…. (See Luke 10)
I dream of a country of believers who are so eager to help their neighbors that there is nothing left to do.
I met Angela this morning as she was delivering breakfast. The tornado hit here five weeks ago yesterday. She and her church has been mobilized since day one.
At first it was to offer shelter for people who needed it. Soon it became delivering food and water. She said her little troop of people prepared about 1,000 meals a day at one point, WITHOUT ELECTRICITY! “We just used whatever we could to get it done,” she said.
Over the last few weeks, they have learned how to respond with creativity and effectiveness. “As the needs of the people are changing, we’re changing to better respond.” Now she and a tiny crew of stay-at-home moms are preparing dozens of meals a day to bring to the volunteers. After work and on the weekend, the guys break out their chainsaws and tools and help rebuild the community.
Then she said the thing that really struck me, “These are our neighbors. We need to help them.”
…which one proved to be the neighbor? The one who showed mercy…. (See Luke 10)
She said something else that I find is common in the Body of Christ. She mentioned that there were only a handful of people doing the work, even though there was a large number of people attending their churches. She wished that more people would help.
I dream of a country of believers who are so eager to help their neighbors that there is nothing left to do.
We need more of the Body of Christ to rise up and help our neighbors.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 9:36-38
