A Prayer In the Aftermath of Harvey

The images on the television screen would look like something out of a high-budget, Hollywood movie, except the people aren't pretty enough. Despite lists of accolades and awards, no celebrity actor or actress is that talented either.

The images coming out of Texas, Louisiana and even Florida are raw and gritty.

We can't visualize or even really imagine the pictures we are seeing. We can't appreciate what these people are going through, unless we've literally, physically been there ourselves.

There are images of utter devastation and news of lives lost drastically compared to reports of strangers rescuing strangers -common, everyday people stepping up and stepping in. There are also reports of price gouging and looting interposed with businesses opening just to serve as evacuation shelters.

I chatted with a lady on my way into Kroger yesterday morning. As we made small talk, she began to complain about the necessity of having to buy groceries. In my head, I thought, "Really? We have a fully stocked market, money in our accounts, and dry intact homes to return to. How many of our fellow Americans were wishing to wake up to this mundane chore today?" Despite this lady's perspective, my Facebook feed is filled with compassionate calls to donate, serve, volunteer and help.

There has also been a lot of media coverage and opinions shared on the action or lack of action of one of Houston's most famous churches. A public relations nightmare for all of us that bear the name "Christian" no matter what actually happened when....

There is no doubt in my mind that our God is already working His good in ways we will never know or be able to appreciate in the aftermath of this natural disaster. He is indeed God and He is indeed very good.

The natural world we reside in is fallen and this natural disaster is a reminder of its fallen state. We also see evidence of man's sin nature in the way so many have manipulated and will continue to seize opportunities to manipulate and take advantage of his neighbor.

Some will say that through natural disasters like this, we see the "best in humanity" as people go to great lengths to preserve and restore life. Celebrities pledge money, hold "______ -a-thons" to raise more funds and people will give. People will go.

Many of those going and serving and saving are Christians. Others are morally "good" people. Even those helping that would claim atheism or to be agnostic have had to have these "good" motives come from somewhere. The book of Romans tells us that even these tendencies that shape what we believe is the "right" thing to do, come to us from our good God whether we chose to acknowledge it or not.

Countless lives are being forever and eternally altered and changed. As we have seen in the past, people will remember their lives "Before Harvey" and "After Harvey."

Our challenge is that this would be an opportunity for us as Christians to live and to respond and to serve in such ways that Christ would be glorified above all.  Whether it is the person we are serving or the person we are serving with, we would boldly extend the hope of the gospel, the answer to the greatest need we all have.

The whole country has once again stopped and taken notice. Now is the time to speak boldly with our actions of love, not with political or theological divisions. Let the United States and the world see a unified church that is the hands and feet of Jesus. There will be a time for all of that (probably happening sooner than it should) but in the mean time, let's show our living Savior as the solution He is to our deepest problems - sin and all the consequences of living in this sinful, fallen creation.

Hurricane Harvey is still leaving it's mark. Here in Tennessee, we are expecting what's left of this monster storm. "Slight" or "marginal" risks for severe weather color the maps out of Nashville for today and tomorrow. All depending on what direction the storm takes next.

As the rain is already falling out my window this morning, I am praying.

What am I praying? For one, I am asking where and how can I help as I seek to put action to my words. I want to be discerning to know exactly where I and my church can plug in to help.

But my prayers are for God to do more than simply meet the physical, temporary and long term needs of all those suffering immeasurable loss this morning. I am fighting a spiritual battle. I am praying that God would work mightily in the hearts of the victims and volunteers to push back the gates of hell to restore far more than possessions...

Would you join me in praying this way?