“
If you are waiting for the federal government to help it’s going to be a while,
but the Baptist men will get it done tomorrow.”
Brian Williams, NBC news
I so want for this quote to be true. I ran across it
on Facebook this morning. Several of my friends reporting that Mr. Williams had
said it while reporting from Moore, OK. I have not been able to find a clip to
confirm it, so I’m just going to hope that it’s true. Too many times in my life
I have seen terrible human tragedies followed up by some Christian leader
saying something idiotic about God’s judgment on homosexuals, or some such
thing. Now, to see a group of thirty local churches rushing to the scene of
such devastation with meals and comfort, to see men and women of faith
volunteering their time, money and resources to minister to the hurting, and to
see that effort acknowledged by the national media might be something close to
a miracle in its own right. Yesterday I followed the activities of my friend
and former youth pastor Jeremy Welborn, who now lives in Oklahoma, as he and
his son went into a devastated community to offer whatever help they could
provide to the hurting. To now learn that they were just two of many who had
rallied to give comfort, and that so many of the helpers were men and women of
faith is a huge comfort and encouragement to me.
Ultimately, the rebuilding of Moore will require
some level of government assistance and support, which after all is one of the
legitimate functions of centralized governments, but long before the machinery of
government even gets cranked up, it will be the good people of Oklahoma,
believers and unbelievers alike who will save the day. That Baptist
organizations and volunteers are playing so visible and valuable a roll is
gratifying, and has helped restore some of my confidence in the institutional
church.
Where is God in Oklahoma? He is covered with mud and
sweat carrying bags of sandwiches and serving up hot coffee among the rubble
that used to be Moore, that’s where.
It wasn't Brian Williams, it was the other newscaster he was talking to. He made a comment to the effect that while the fed gov't was trying to figure out what FEMA's role would be 30 some odd churches had already banded together to help those in need. Then the other newscaster made the comment about the Baptist men.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good. :)
ReplyDeleteDoug, the Body of Christ is alive and well in Oklahoma!
ReplyDelete