Saturday, May 25, 2013

A Spirit of Love

A woman searches for belongings at a home in Moore, Oklahoma, on Wednesday, May 22, two days after it was destroyed by a tornado that ripped through the area. <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/20/us/gallery/midwest-weather/index.html'>View more photos of the aftermath in the region</a> and another gallery of <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/21/us/gallery/oklahoma-tornado-aerials/index.html'>aerial shots of the damage</a>.


I'm sure it's safe to say that all of us were horrified to see the level of devastation after a tornado swept through the community of Moore, Oklahoma.  Twenty four people lost their lives and their families are in grief, Thousands more were left with nothing when their homes were reduced to rubble. We have to assume that many were suddenly without employment when their businesses and places of work were destroyed.

It's hard to find anything good in this, but the concerted efforts of churches is a positive note in a bleak situation. Congregations have put aside their differences to coordinate relief efforts. One pastor offered that they were choosing to be the "big C" church rather than a bunch of "little c" congregations.

We could argue that it shouldn't take a major calamity to get Christ's people together, and that it is a catastrophe that those who say that uphold the love of Christ do, at times, lay claim to that love to the exclusion of others. It is more important to celebrate a different spirit which may extend beyond this specific event.

Are you encouraged to hear about this collaborative relief effort? Why not every day?

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