Your thoughts on the Great Flood of 2011?

Where and how have you seen Faith in Memphis at work? Some people refer to natural disasters as Acts of God. Where have you seen ‘acts of God’ or faith during this time of trial for the Memphis area?

Last July, my wife, a son and daughter, and I attended a McBride Family reunion outside of Sonoma, California. It was a rustic reunion held in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; the four of us and over 100 aunts, uncles, and cousins, most of whom we only see once every three years or less often. Besides the usual fun and games and family mixers, our extended family took part in a service project. A few family members planned ahead and purchased all the needed materials to put together several hundred hygiene kits to be sent throughout the world as needs arise through the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whenever a disaster strikes, The Church, through the donations of it members, sends needed relief supplies to affected areas. Hygiene Kits are typically consist of personal toiletries such as soap, wash cloths, comb, tooth brush and toothpaste.

Little did I ever expect to see any vestige of these kits in Memphis, Tennessee.  As the Mississippi River flood waters rose two weeks ago, representatives of the American Red Cross called me and asked if The Church would be able to assist them in securing 500 Hygiene Kits and 500 Cleaning Kits.  Cleaning kits are five gallon pails filled with needed supplies to begin the sanitization process of flooded homes. Within an hour, arrangements were made to have the donated product shipped from the Indianapolis, Indiana, storehouse arriving in Memphis just two days later. The cleaning and hygiene kits are now staged in Memphis and awaiting the flood waters to recede; after which they will be distributed to those in need  by representatives of the American Red Cross. Members of local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have offered their services to distribute these kits and help in anyway needed to clean-up after these devastating floods.

I continue to be touched by the unselfish acts of religious congregations, volunteers with the Red Cross , Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, and other organizations, and kind individuals throughout the Mid-South who give countless hours of service and financial donations in helping to alleviate the suffering of so many who have been affected by adverse weather conditions.

Your thoughts on the Great Flood of 2011?

Where and how have you seen Faith in Memphis at work? Some people refer to natural disasters as Acts of God. Where have you seen ‘acts of God’ or faith during this time of trial for the Memphis area?

What I’ve seen in Shelby County over the past couple of weeks isn’t so much a rising river: it’s a rising community.

Born out of the mounting catastrophe of flooding in Shelby County is “Shelby Cares,” a unique, faith-based initiative that works with the county in times of crises. As the river crept up and people were evacuated we were there for them. When I say “we” I mean the incredible people of the 39 local houses of worship who have offered help in times of need; regardless of the denomination, size, or resources.

What I’ve seen with “Shelby Cares”: Church staff leave their day job to work around the clock in jobs completely outside of their skill sets; Wave after wave of volunteers show up asking “What can I do?” Supply shelves overflow with donations from generous givers who simply want to help; Local restaurants and casinos donate huge amounts food; International press spreads the word all over the world of what “Shelby Cares” is doing.

“Shelby Cares” is by no means a Hope Church venture alone. I just happen to be the one called to coordinate between the churches and the Shelby County Office of Preparedness (and I’m honored to do so). What was born out of the flooding and disaster is, I think, a much stronger community. So the question is “Where have I seen God in this time of trial?” The answer is simply “Everywhere.”

Your thoughts on the Great Flood of 2011?

News services have done a great job of raising awareness about the unfolding disaster and bringing the plight of the helpless to public attention. And governmental emergency services have been quick to respond to the need. Which is to say that while it is apparent that God is using faith communities and persons of faith to relieve the suffering, I see the hand of God at work through secular agencies, too.

This line in Tuesday’s Commercial Appeal impacted me: “Caution: The danger will remain in the Mid-South long after those national news crews that descended on Memphis on Sunday and Monday have moved on to the next center of the news universe.” It brought to mind the vital role the local media play in communities coping with natural disasters.

Keeping the needs of the Great Flood front and center strikes me as a holy act.

Your thoughts on the Great Flood of 2011?

Joshua 3:14-16 (New International Version, ©2011)

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

Even as Memphis was playing one of the most remarkable playoff games in TNT’s 1,000th broadcast basketball game, the 100-year flood was causing the Mississippi River to crest. And, today we celebrate with Booker T. Washington High School with the announcement of President Barack Obama coming to Memphis for their commencement.

One reporter called Memphis the Tale of Two Cities. While one side is relatively dry and is pulling for BTW and the Grizzlies to win the other side is water logged and is pulling there items out of the house to evacuate. It’s a time of great hope and anticipation while also a time angst and anxiety. What does it mean to have so many good things going on while so many bad things are happening?

Memphis hasn’t seen this much water since 1937 but at the same time it hasn’t seen any better times.

We are like the Israelites who were set to finally cross over into the promised land during harvest but the Jordan River was flooding. We are on the brink of finally crossing over economically with new companies coming into Memphis, educationally with the hopes of consolidating our school system, & socially as the Memphis Grizzlies make history uniting the city around the hopes of a championship. It’s time to crossover.

Joshua had the priests step-in the flooded waters with the Ark of the Covenant and the waters backed up allowing the people to crossover on dry ground. This flood has brought clergy leaders together to step up for the people who’ve been affected by the flood. This crisis has united people of faith across denomination, race, & religion opening up shelters, taking up supplies, and providing resources.  Like the sea of diverse faces in the FedEx Forum hoping for victory there is a multitude of different tribes working together to get this city over it’s flood crisis. This flood is our harvest! The Japanese word for crisis is the same one for opportunity. This crisis is our opportunity to do like Tom Lee did many years ago and lend a hand to our neighbor as we all crossover together.

Your thoughts on the Great Flood of 2011?

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” 

I thought about that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote as downtown and Raleigh residents could not see even the first step to their homes underwater. 

I witnessed faith in action as Jewish members of Temple Israel learned how to shelter and deliver funds and food from our teachers at Hope Church.  

The act of God is not the flood, but the coming together of the faith community — Jew and Christian, urban and suburban, irrespective of race, religion, or region.  If God’s will is the survival of humanity and not the suffering, then we are witnessing an act of God from Millington and Cummings Street Baptist to Hope Presbyterian. 

Devastating floods arouse belief based of fear, but my tradition stresses belief based on love – specifically, the capacity of human beings to love and go on instead of the tendency to give up, and the ability to face adversity with courage instead of despair. 

We have learned from the Great Flood of 2011 that what really counts in our lives is not what happens to us, but how we choose to react, respond, and remember. 

As babies continue to cry through the night in area shelters, the act of God, as I see it, are the volunteers in human form rocking those babies, saving the lives of total strangers, and thereby fulfilling the biblical verse, “Lo, I will be with you.”