The culture war's biggest casualties may be Christian joy and hope

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ALWAYS IN PARABLES Furrowed Brows Inc. The culture war's biggest casualties may be Christian joy and hope. By Andy Crouch

35 Pre-School Children Spared

In my tornado post 16 days ago, I said that 35 Pre-School children survived the Goodlettsville, Tennessee tornado without a scratch in the children's building of Metro Baptist Church... despite this damage to the adjacent sanctuary building. This picture was taken today, 16 days after the tornado.

Tornado 16 Days Later #2

 

Tornado 16 days later

 

Tornado update

Sixteen days ago, I blogged about the Tornado which hit Goodlettsville, Tennessee less than 10 minutes from my house. (I believe the funnel cloud must actually gone over my house without setting down.) In a subsequent post, I mentioned several buildings which were damaged. The picture below is of the damage which still remains even after there have been 16 days to clear debris. This picture is of damage along the Old Brick Church Pike.

Like a Roaring Lion... well... Shark

Check out "The Enemy Prowls" on the "A Man Coming Alive" blog. The picture is of a great white shark trailing behind a lone scientist in a kayak off the coast of South Africa. Donny Prater makes an insightful comparison of the shark in the photograph to how the Bible tells us we should think about the Devil.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (New International Version)

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

His post reminded me of a favorite book, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis which is an entire book devoted to how the Devil seeks to undermine us and keep us away from God.

More on Middle Tennessee Tornado

On my way to church in Goodlettsville, I passed some devastation along New Brick Church Pike. Bakers Chapel CME church was damaged and the Red Cross was handing out water and other supplies in the parking lot. Behind the church many, many trees were down. Many homes were damaged.

The grocery store where I often stop to get milk on the way home was severly damaged. The building between the Goodlettsville public library and the Bell South building was flattened.

Nashville Electric Service bucket trucks were everwhere. The police were blocking off access to side streets to all but the people who lived there.

At church this morning, a man I had seen often but didn't know very well got up to talk about his ordeal with the tornado. His house was lifted away from him in about 5 seconds. He and a neighbor went looking for another neighbor, a young mother with two small children. She had sought safety in the basement (not many houses in Middle Tennessee have basements) right before her house was demolished. She had crouched low with her two children under her. The two men dug through the rubble to find them. The two children were unhurt but the mother had punctured lungs and spinal injuries. He said he had heard that she may be parallized from the chest down for the rest of her life.

The newpaper said Friday was the worst loss of life due to tornado activity in Middle Tennessee since 1974.

God, I lift up to You in prayer all those who have lost their homes and possessions. I especially lift up those who were injured or who lost loved ones. Heal the pain and loss. Provide for all their needs, both spoken and unspoken. Lord, I pray for your healing hand on that young mother who was severly injured protecting her children. Amen.

Tornado Damage in Middle Tennessee

We had severe weather in Middle Tennessee today. The 10 o'clock TV news said 11 people were killed by tornadoes. Click here for news, pictures, and video.

I watched the color-coded weather radar on the Internet as it showed a huge "red" area heading right for my house. I called home from work to find my family was seeking safety in the closet.

The twisters played no favorites as they demolished everything from mobile homes, to a boat factory, a Toyota dealer, and 4000+ square foot homes in affluent Nashville suburbs. The Nashville TV news showed a member of the Oak Ridge Boys talking about the damage to his house and neighborhood. A twister damaged the house of a cameraman for one of the local TV stations. He filmed the inside of his house and showed how a car that had been in his front driveway was now dropped behind his house. Another lady pointed out how far her car had been lifted and thrown. It looked like 100 yards.

Thank God, the TV also showed interviews with a few of the 35 pre-school age children that were at Metro Baptist Church in Goodlettsville, TN when it was hit. None of them got a scratch in the preschool section of the church at the same time the sanctuary was destroyed. I learned my own church had opened its doors to become a Red Cross shelter.

God, I praise you and thank You that my loved ones and my home were spared today. I also want to thank You for sparing so many from harm, including those 35 pre-schoolers. I ask that You comfort those who have lost loved ones and so many possessions. I pray for Your provision for their many needs at this time. Life can be fleeting so I pray also that many in my community will take time to access their relationship with You. I pray the Holy Spirit will work in this situation to draw many closer to You. Amen.

Copyright © 2006 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved