The photo connected to this blog is a before and after shot of Lower Street in downtown Spruce Pine in Mitchell County, NC. The roof top in the middle of the water is the train depot station that facilitates an important railway along the North Toe River. I was pastor of Central Baptist Church in the 1990s about one block away from this site. Spruce Pine, population 2194 is nestled in the Appalachian mountains and mostly known for its local artist community and beautiful scenery. What many people don’t know is that it is also America’s only source of high purity quartz, which is important for micro-chips and solar panels. Consequently, this little town is one of the nation’s keys to addressing the economic threat of China and climate change.
The stories I’ve heard from church members have been heart-breaking following 24 inches of rain over a 3 day period, accompanied by tornado like winds. Family members have been understandably frightened, knowing that some people have been swept away by flashfloods, and they have not been able to communicate with them. Cellphone service has been sporadic or non-existent. Wi-fi service the same. Electricity is down through most of the town. The irony of living in a flooded region with no safe water to drink or cook with is jarring. One family described the sounds the night of the torrential rains as filled with loud thuds, clearly coming 100 year old oak trees falling like they were in the path of a hurricane. With no electricity or water, and a tree on their house, they escaped to Johnson City, Tennessee along with their extended family to stay in a hotel. The father told me, “They said the winds were 40-50 mph, but I know they were closer to 90-100 mph.” They were some of the lucky ones. Others with health conditions have been trapped by unpassable road and have no route of escape. Major interstate I-40 and I-26 have closed down in some key areas due to mudslides and collapsing pavement. While there is tremendous need in Spruce Pine and throughout western North Carolina, there is limited access to transport goods to the people.
The emotional impact of Hurricane Helene matches the geographical damage unleashed. One young mother in my church in the foothills of North Carolina who has not had contact with her brother, sister and grandmother said to me, “It is absolutely heart breaking to see my home and the community I love destroyed. I feel so helpless. I am one of them and hate I’m not actively helping.”
There is no clarity about when power might be restored, clean water available, and roads will be safe. One leading educator in Spruce Pine told me, “Schools are closed indefinitely.” They really have no idea when life will return to normal or if “normal” will ever show its face again in Mitchell County.
In the face of devastating environmental disasters, the Christian community bows down in prayers of supplication to God. I know some people scoff at sending “thoughts and prayers,” but the Christian community is committed to this practice. However, the prayers are not an isolated event from the actions and agency of Christian communities. Even now Christians and churches are actively engaged in cutting trees off houses, rescuing people from dangerous situations, collecting and distributing bottled water, food, diapers and the important personal empathy that is part of God’s healing in the world. Churches are being converted into shelters, stations for electricity to recharge computers and phones, and serving as a hub for personal community to rejuvenate. This is the power of Christian resilience.
C3 stands on and honors these Christian practices as a key element in the face of disaster, adversity, and uncertainty. This is the fruit of our faith in God. We also listen and learn from the scientific community who gives us insights as to how God’s world works and what damages it. In this way, we know that climate change is causing hotter oceans which produces more intense storms, while warmer atmospheres inland created a greater capacity for holding more water. And when the two mix, the severity of these climate events escalate. The old assumptions of 1000, 500 and 100 year floods are no longer a working model. The Christian community, in partnership with the scientific community, provides pathways for us to complement our prayers with our actions. By adopting practices and supporting national policies which address environmental needs, we live into the fullness of our faith. For when we pray and act for the least (most vulnerable) neighbors, we are certainly following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Let’s pray for those harmed by Hurricane Helene and do what we can to help them recover and heal.
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