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Eye on the World: Tornado damage in the American Midwest and South
Tornadoes tore across the midwestern and southern states in the US on Sunday, killing 18 people and leveling buildings. Faulkner County, Arkansas, was hit especially hard — one tornado touched down near the state capital of Little Rock, then traveled 80 miles across the ground, growing to a half-mile wide. The tornado flattened schools, homes, and other buildings in its path. Emergency workers and volunteers have already begun offering assistance to those affected. The National Weather Service has predicted more storms later in the week in the southern US.
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably interested in learning more about how prayer can promote safety, harmony, and peace. “In extreme weather: a call to pray” explains how one woman prayed when tornadoes threatened her community. The Bible verse “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalms 107:29 ) assured her that a destructive storm couldn’t be more powerful than God’s all-encompassing love.
It’s important to remember that prayer isn’t a way of exerting personal control over weather, but rather a way to bear witness to God’s harmonious control over His whole creation. “God doesn’t create ‘natural disasters’ ” discusses how we can pray along these lines, recognizing that God’s will for His children never includes suffering or destruction. This kind of prayer brings safety to those in need, and comfort to those who have been affected by storms. As we perceive more clearly the supremacy of God, we’ll start to recognize that frightening weather isn’t a necessity.
“Weathering storms,” written by a Christian Science practitioner living in the Midwest, addresses the question: “If God is all-powerful, why is there so much misery, so much destruction generated by these storms?” As we recognize that we’re protected and cared for by God, the fear of a destructive material climate starts to lose its hold. The writer shares an experience in which she prayed to perceive God’s direction, and saw a tornado dissipate without harming her neighborhood.
As the southern and midwestern US rebuilds following these storms, we can offer help and support through prayer that recognizes no force as more powerful than God.