by Staff, posted Wednesday, November 21, 2012 (11 years ago)
NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- Thanksgiving in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has prompted new reflections on life and faith among those who were impacted and those who came to their aid.
The writer of Proverbs 27 warns that a man does not know what a day may bring. Few expected that a hurricane would cause as much devastation in the New York and New Jersey areas and other parts of the East as residents there are coping with now.
In this article, pastors and disaster relief workers share their thoughts on Thanksgiving in light of Sandy.
-- Fritz Wilson, the North American Mission Board's executive director for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, noted to Baptist Press, "As a kid I always looked forward to Thanksgiving Day. Not just because it meant Christmas was a month away, but also because we got to watch the giant balloons in the New York Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, eats lots of food and watch football.
"On Thanksgiving Day 2012, most people across the country will only think about the parades, food and football in the New York area," Wilson wrote. "But for me, I will be thankful for something much more important, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who continually respond en masse to New York and New Jersey. Their mission is to simply bring help, healing and hope to people and communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy almost one month ago.
"Since Sandy's landfall more than 2,500 SBDR volunteers have responded to the people affected by the storm's fury," Wilson wrote. "Leaving home, family and friends, they have driven thousands of miles from across the country to serve people in the name of Jesus.
"While most folks are celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends at home, hundreds of SBDR volunteers will be preparing thousands of meals, helping homeowners clean up their homes and providing a hug to hurting families simply because they care and want to show Christ's love in a practical and selfless way," Wilson wrote.
"So when you join with your family to give thanks, stop and say a prayer of thanks for the SBDR volunteers who are giving of themselves in the New York and New Jersey areas, and for the people who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy."
-- Mike Flannery, disaster relief director for the Baptist Convention of New York, wrote, "There comes a time in the lives of people that we need to put aside the idea that if a disaster is not in our area that it does not affect us.
"In this global economy we have become interdependent and we are responsible because of our commission to share the Word. Many times when we are out in the area where the disaster has taken place, people spontaneously say 'thank you' to us," Flannery wrote. Read More
