| A deadly storm: when tragedy strikes BY JIM FARMER The churchs response to tragedy is often as fragmented as the world around us. When a catastrophic event occurs, not only are our feelings traumatized, quite often our entire belief system and world view is called into question. When we receive the telephone call saying, Your child is dead, when terrorists strike and thousands of lives are lost, when a deadly tornado tears through our community these are the events that tear at the very fabric of our being. We ask, where is God in the midst of this? Why did it happen? Who was at fault? Why some and not others? What the Bible tells us, when read carefully, is God did not cause all tragedy and faith in God offers us no guarantee against tragedy. In this post-Easter time we remember the demonstration of Gods love in victory over death in the resurrection of Jesus. Using Jesus as our model, we note that he was always present, offering remedy, always helpful and pointing to a way and a place beyond the current situation. The deadly storm that swept across Southern Maryland was a poignant reminder of the brevity and fragility of life. May the church respond with the presence, compassion and power of Jesus in the lives of those so critically affected. Author Philip Yancey in his book, Where is God When It Hurts? states that there is a huge difference in comfort between believers offering were praying for you and unbelievers offering best of luck, well keep our fingers crossed. Yancey says that if he were asked today, Where is God when it hurts? in a single sentence he would reply, Where is the church when it hurts? The church is the tangible presence of God in the midst of tragedy. Just as Jesus would, we can be present, we can offer remedy, we can point beyond current circumstances, and with compassion we can offer comfort in times of loss. What one person or one church cannot do, collectively we can accomplish. May the church be the body of Christ for those suffering grievous loss from this violent storm. We can repair, rebuild, mend wounds and console those who have lost loved ones. The church responds by being Christ present to those in need. The Rev. James Farmer is senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick, a Calvert County community that was struck by the tornado. | 
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