Calamity Brings Unity
Christian churches and organizations are putting aside their differences in Joplin, Missouri, to help victims of an F5 tornado that struck over a week ago.
Thousands of people in Joplin gathered for worship Sunday for the first time since the killer tornado hit. John Swadley (right), lead pastor of Forest Park Baptist Church in Joplin, said the tragic tornado has brought the larger church community together.
“Even churches that don’t necessarily get along so well normally have set aside whatever differences that they might have,” he shares. “And maybe if there ever was an answer to the prayer of Jesus in John, chapter 17, that his followers would be in unity and they would be one as he and the Father are one, that’s what we’re seeing here in Joplin.”
Other than Sundays, churches across the U.S. can be the most under utilized resource in a community with huge buildings setting idle or empty six days a week. Swadley says the Forest Park facility is typically active without a crisis, but now it is busier than ever.
“I don’t like [our buildings] sitting empty all week long. I want them to be as useful as possible for the master’s work. So actually we’re delighted,” says the pastor. “There’s some inconvenience that’s involved with it, yes — but we’re delighted to see the buildings that we’ve built being used for the master’s purposes.”
The international humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse has used Forest Park Baptist Church as its command center since the tornado. The group, founded by Rev. Franklin Graham, has trained and equipped over 1,000 volunteers to provide assistance over the past week.
(Source: OneNewsNow)
