Tornado

One day last summer brethren and sisters in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada lived through traumatic events that stirred a range of powerful, unforgettable emotions when they faced the fury and threat of a tornado.

Beginning with a heavy downpour of rain and hail, the storm of terror claimed 27 lives, injured over 300 people, left 4,000 homeless, and caused up to $200 million dollars worth of damage in this modern city of 600,000. As people went about their daily activities on a hot, humid July day, warm and cold masses of air collided overhead in ominous clouds. Suddenly, in mid-afternoon, a huge black funnel-shaped whirlwind descended with thunderous impact.

A brother had driven along a busy freeway to his workplace. In a half hour the same highway would be littered with the wreckage of vehicles, debris and injured motorists. Providentially, his timing had saved him from the violent turbulence which blew cars in all directions, flinging their occupants through windows onto the pavement or into fields. The brother arrived at his office and, because of needed repairs, parked his car inside the shop portion of the facility.

Thirty minutes later, a warning alerted the staff to the approaching storm. Soon the eyes of 25 employees focused incredulously on the whirling black clouds. The massive funnel appeared to be 400 yards wide at its base. Later it would expand to two-thirds of a mile, cutting a wide swath of death and destruction in its northerly course along the edge of the city. Drawn to look at the monster twister, they were transfixed, awestruck by its immensity, barely comprehending its power. The funnel hovered for two or three minutes, touching down and demolishing the buildings across the highway and killing some of the occupants. It utterly destroyed everything sucked into its crushing grasp, a black fury fed by winds up to 330 km/h. A barrier of earth obscured their vision of the destruction taking place. Later it became apparent that the barrier had protected their building from massive chunks of flying debris.

Suddenly the swirling dark threat moved towards them. Their building now lay in the path of the tornado. In fear for their lives, they moved quickly to the inner core of the shop, not realizing that the structure could not protect them from the blast of a direct hit.

The exterior walls were pummeled violently by pieces of debris. The thunderous roar of the mighty winds drowned out all human voice. As power lines snapped, a terrifying darkness enshrouded the frail human forms huddled within the building. After long agonizing minutes, the immense funnel moved on. Inexplicably, the tornado had veered off in another direction, missing the building by 200 yards, leaving it intact but destroying everything one-third of a mile to the east.

The brother pondered the anguish of David as he looked upon the destroying angel hovering over Jerusalem, poised for destruction – but then stopped by the mercy of God. He acknowledged the tremendous power that so convincingly exhibited the existence of the Almighty. He breathed a prayer of thankfulness to the Lord who “hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,” realizing that his life had been spared.

Six hours after the tornado touched down, the brother was able to make his way home. He drove, weary and dazed at the incredible experience now behind him. Arriving in his neighborhood where flowers and shrubs stood in neat borders, where houses looked just as they had when he’d left them earlier that day, the shock of the devastation he’d witnessed began to settle upon him. He and his staff had been spared, his business facility remained intact, while only blocks away, 20 buildings had been blown apart. Biblical miracles seemed more real to him now; he truly believed the angel of the Lord had delivered him that day, a day he would never forget.

Other brethren and sisters viewed the black funnel from various locations; but being far enough away, felt little of the fear reserved for those who stood in the path of the killer tornado.

Two days later, on Sunday morning, the tiny ecclesia gathered thankfully to sing praises to God, to ponder their mortality and to hear a young brother’s exhortation from Job 37.

“God thunders wondrously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend … From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds … He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter His lightning. They turn round and round by His guidance, to accomplish all that He commands them on the face of the habitable world. Whether for correction, or for His land, or for love He causes it to happen” (Job 37:5,9.11-13 RSV).

A hush fell upon the brethren and sisters as thanksgiving was offered on their behalf that they all had been spared personal loss and injury. Existing as an ecclesia in isolation, their hearts had been touched by the loving inquiries from brethren and sisters around the world concerning their welfare. But it was clear to the faithful that on this occasion the angel of the Lord had indeed encamped round about them that fear Him and had delivered them. The encouragement derived from this realization should help to keep all of our hearts hopeful and courageous as we journey through a world in constant threat of calamity, war, ruin and death.

For, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust … But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children; to such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them” (Psa. 103:13.14,17,18).