Inundated

All the fountains of the great abyss burst forth,
     and the floodgates of the sky were opened. – Genesis 7:11

Once in 5,000 years. That was how the flooding was described. Torrents of murky water overflowing banks, rising into homes, pulling along debris from up the mountain. There aren’t supposed to be hurricanes in the mountains. Suddenly, violently, communities cut off, cut down, forever changed.

Water is life-giving. It restores, refreshes, cleansing. We wade in the water to be born again. But there is also danger in the water. At times of disaster, we are reminded that we are part of nature and its forces. Despite our attempts to detach from nature, to totally control our environment, to consume and pollute and destroy and face no consequences, we are not above our place. We are part of God’s creation—we exist in a time and place. We are strong, but not all powerful. How quickly can storm or famine or war arrive and disrupt the stability we built. How swiftly can bridges and power grids and roads wash away. What remains is our human nature—heroic rescues, outpouring charity, compassion, charity, resilience.  

The waters recede and we’re left with the mess: the mud, the trauma, the agonizingly slow process of rebuilding. Shovel out buildings, carry in supplies, bury the dead. Swap stories of survival over and over, because what else is there to talk about? The river’s path is different now. Our path feels different now.

There is anger and conspiracies and evildoers taking advantage. There is pain and fatigue. Innocents suffer, and we rage at the injustice of it all. But there is more good than evil. There are more sunny days than stormy ones. We rebuild because we always rebuild. We go on, because what other option do we have?

This is creation: life-giving and dangerous. We must never think we’re above the forces of nature. The torrents of life can wash away what we think we know. Our lives and communities are precarious—they can be wiped away in an instant. We have to prepare and protect. We have to connect and practice compassion—to our environment, to our neighbors, to ourselves.