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Dear friends in Christ,
"People witness by caring," said the Rev. Lee Eilert, pastor of Christ the
King Lutheran Church in St. Clairsville, Ohio. "People can be the presence
of Christ, God's amazing grace in the lives of others. Through people, God
comes to others, and supports them."
At a gathering of pastors in Cambridge (southeast Ohio) earlier this week,
Pastor Eilert, in his opening devotions, reflected on how God has been
present in the lives of people who survived the devastation of tornadic
winds and flash floods at the end of June. As the pastors shared their
members' stories of destruction and death, they spoke of the strength
people have found in God and the ministry they are feeling in the efforts
of disaster response staff and volunteers.
Johanna Olson (Assistant for ELCA Domestic Disaster Response) and I joined
Dr. Gary Harbaugh (LDR pastoral care specialist), who led a "Care for the
Caregivers" gathering for the pastors. As he listened to their stories, he
discussed the dynamics of crisis, loss, and bereavement as it relates to
these spiritual leaders and those to whom they minister. A sense of
depression is beginning to set in for some, who realize their disaster "is
not over, but continues and will continue." Some children (and adults) are
terrified by thunderstorms, wondering if this storm will be as bad as "that
one." For many people in this rural area, this disaster is now a benchmark
from which they will date life events "before the disaster" and "after the
disaster."
How can we respond to this disaster that received no media attention and is
all but forgotten. Volunteers are still needed to help with clean-up of
debris and clearance of trees and clean-up of lots. And as always, the
financial needs are outstripping contributions.
TO VOLUNTEER: Please contact local response coordinator Kathy Meyers
1-877- 658-8558 (this is a toll-free call).
TO CONTRIBUTE: Please send your contributions to
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Let us continue our witness that Lutherans are people who care, people
through whom God comes and is present in grace-filled ways. By your
prayers, contributions, and volunteering, we can continue to work with
those whose lives have been impacted by the chaos of disasters.
In Christ,
Gil Furst
GILBERT B. FURST (written on Wed, Aug 12, 1998, at 10:38 am)
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (Division for Church in Society),
Lutheran Disaster Response (A cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS)
8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631 PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Visit our website: www.elca.org/dcs/disaster
