Six years ago, at the urging of a church attendee, I put out my first Pastor’s Perspective in response to the approaching hurricane named Matthew. It was my attempt to provide a few simple thoughts about the need to be in prayer for one another, particularly those who had been and would be impacted by the storm. It was also a reminder that, no matter what happened to our island home, it was not a particular structure that defined us as a community, but rather, it was the people. I ended the post quoting Romans 8:28, as a reminder of God’s sovereignty and goodness. What followed was an event that reshaped our island, and my subsequent posts attempted to capture the selflessness, sacrifice, kindness, generosity and love that flowed from all corners of our community as we worked together in a previously unimaginable manner to overcome the devastation.
Today, as I write this, it appears that Ian has been downgraded to a tropical storm, and that the projected path of the eye will take it to the east of us, reducing the likelihood that we will suffer the worst that the storm has to offer. We’re still within the cone of uncertainty, so it is best to stay on heightened alert, but we likely won’t need an island-wide recovery effort in the wake of this storm. However, in light of the metaphorical storms that seem to be facing our island, it is perhaps important to revisit who we are as an island when we are truly threatened, for it seems like it takes a significant storm to reveal who we truly are.
As Matthew approached six years ago, we were an island that was making good strides in learning how to live together, but there were still some significant barriers to being a tightly-knit community. People had different opinions on development, services, access to the island and individual communities, and what it meant to be an islander. Yet as soon as Matthew hit, none of those issues mattered. What became important was making sure that our neighbors were safe, minimizing the damage that had already been done, removing hazards that the storm had created, seeing electricity restored as soon as possible, and working together to get this done as quickly as possible, so that life could get back to normal.
In the subsequent days, weeks and months, nearly everyone on the island pitched in as they could. People who could operate heavy equipment teamed with people using chainsaws to clear fallen trees from the roads. Teams went house-to-house assessing damage, and systematically sent crews to remove trees from roofs and put tarps up. Others went around emptying out refrigerators and freezers so that they wouldn’t be ruined when the power stayed off too long. There were teams making sure that the frontlines had water, Gatorade or snacks to maintain their energy, and some folks providing safety oversight and first aid when needed. Some made sure to cook community meals every night to feed the army that had come together. There were those coordinating the logistical efforts, raising money and securing needed provisions. We were one body, with many parts, all working together for the good of our island home.
No one wants to be hit with a storm, but that doesn’t mean that storms can’t bring valuable lessons for us. Romans 8:28 states “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Despite the destruction that we experienced, Matthew brought about tremendous blessings to the strength and unity of our island community. Today, with some of the divisiveness that we’re facing, I’d rather it didn’t take another storm to remind us of those valuable lessons.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron