Official Warnings Issued Ahead of Hurricane Matthew Heeded by Millions, Ignored by Some In the News "This storm will kill you," Florida governor Rick Scott repeatedly told 1.5 million coastal residents of the Sunshine State prior to the arrival of the monster storm Matthew last week. "Prepare for a direct hit." "Time is running out," he added. "We don't have much time left. Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate." Scott's siren call to action was echoed by other authorities in government and the media in the days and hours leading up to the deadly storm. "Residents and visitors should take evacuation orders seriously and heed the directions of state, local and tribal officials," urged Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator W. Craig Fugate, warning that the impending storm could cause "significant harm to life and property. If instructed to evacuate, don't wait. You can always repair and rebuild. The most important thing you can do is keep you and your family safe." The National Weather Service described weather conditions as "extremely dangerous," and "lifethreatening," predicting storm surges as high as 11 feet and up to 15 inches of rain in some places. Authorities said residents should expect increased risk of disease, power outages, flooding, downed trees, and damage to homes and businesses that might render them "uninhabitable for weeks or months." Evacuees clogged interstate highways as they fled inland to seek safe shelter. Some highways were transformed to one-way thoroughfares to accommodate vehicles traveling west away from the coast. In South Carolina alone, nearly 500,000 people evacuated. Not everyone heeded the warnings to flee the deadly storm, however. West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio expressed concern that "more people are staying than leaving." Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach warned those who ignored mandatory evacuation orders: "If you decide to ride it out, do not expect us to be there to help you. We will not risk the lives of our emergency responders," he said, "to save those who refused to heed this evacuation call." President Obama declared a state of emergency in parts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, authorizing FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the United States Agency for International Development to work together to assist state and local governments in providing disaster relief to affected regions. Roughly 26 million people live in the path the storm took. The category 5 hurricane, the most powerful and long-lasting storm in the Atlantic since Hurricane Felix in 2007, slammed the Caribbean nation of Haiti Tuesday, October 4, with winds of 145 miles per hour (230 kph), before winding up the southeastern coast of America. We know now that Matthew was nowhere near as apocalyptic in the United States as projected. But although the storm weakened to the category of a tropical cyclone over time, it still caused an estimated billions of dollars in property damage and killed at least 38 in the United States so far and over 1,000 in Haiti where the devastation was much greater.
More on this story can be found at these links: FEMA Urges Residents to Take Evacuation Orders Seriously Ahead of Hurricane Matthew. FEMA.gov Hurricane Matthew: Weather Service Issues Dire Warning. CNN.com The Big Questions 1. Do you think there are spiritual hurricanes looming on the horizon, and if so, are Christians equipped to foresee them? Explain your answer. Do Christians have an obligation to issue warnings about spiritual hurricanes looming on the horizon today? If so, what would be the content of that warning? How might such warnings fit in with the Bible's prophetic tradition? 2. How do you know when you should speak a message of warning to people about danger to their souls, and when you should offer a message of consolation, hope, and encouragement? Are these messages mutually exclusive? Why or why not? How does a warning message square with the "good news" emphasis of evangelism? 3. Who needs to hear a warning about spiritual dangers today? 4. Why are old-fashioned "fire-and-brimstone" messages often viewed with skepticism, scorn, or derision? How can Christians ensure that they don't fear-monger? Is it possible to overstate spiritual danger? What are the consequences of issuing a warning about a danger that is overstated or even fails to come to pass? Is there a "boy who cried 'WOLF!'" element to this story? If a threat does not materialize, or does not materialize at the level predicted, does that mean that those who sounded a warning should not have done so? Or that they lose credibility and that their warnings should not be heeded in the future? Why or why not? 5. How can Christians issue warnings about spiritual danger in ways that listeners would interpret as credible, compassionate, and loving? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Job 33:16-18 then he opens their ears, and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn them aside from their deeds, and keep them from pride, to spare their souls from the Pit, their lives from traversing the River. (For context, read 33:14-18.) As Job struggles to comprehend the ways of God, in the time of his own great suffering, his friend Elihu says that God sometimes speaks to people in dreams and visions. Questions: Was Elihu right that God "terrifies people with warnings"? If so, what does God want us to take away from that terrifying experience of hearing his warnings? Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. (For context, read 11:6-7). This passage refers to Genesis 6:5-8 and 11-22, where God commands Noah to build an ark in preparation for the flood. Presumably, he is telling him to construct a boat in the middle of a
desert, which no doubt roused the idle curiosity if not the mockery of people watching. Yet Noah obeyed God, serving as a warning and a witness to the people (1 Peter 3:20). Questions: When have you been warned of a danger that you could not yet see? Did you respect the warning? If not, why not? If you did respect the warning, what led you to that decision, and what actions did you take? What happened as a result? Ezekiel 3:17-19 Mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die," and you give them no warning, or speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way, in order to save their life, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity; but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and they do not turn from their wickedness, or from their wicked way, they shall die for their iniquity; but you will have saved your life. (For context, read 3:16-21; see also Ezekiel 33:1-9.) God appoints the prophet Ezekiel as a sentinel to listen for a word from God's mouth, and to give that word to the people of Israel as a warning of impending danger. Sometimes it is "the wicked" who need to be warned, and sometimes it is "the righteous." In Ezekiel 33, God adds the detail that "if the sentinel sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people," then whoever does not heed the warning will bear the responsibility for their own blood on their own heads. But "if the sentinel sees the sword coming" and fails to blow the trumpet to warn the people, God will hold the sentinel responsible for their deaths. Questions: What is the sentinel's mission? What would motivate a sentinel to sound the alarm to warn the people of danger? What might cause a sentinel to fail to carry out his duty? Who, if anyone, is called to be a sentinel for God today? What does it mean that God will "require at the sentinel's hand" the blood of those the sentinel fails to warn? Where does the sentinel's responsibility end and where does the listener's responsibility begin? In what sense does the sentinel "save his life" by fulfilling his assigned task? What is "the sword coming upon the land"? How can you "blow a trumpet" to warn people of that sword? Matthew 3:1-2, 8, 10 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (For context, read 3:1-10.) John the Baptist began preaching in Judea to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus' arrival. John's message was a prophetic one, calling for repentance, a change of heart and direction, and an acceptance of God's kingship. It was not an easy message for some. Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized, but John rebuked them for presuming that their ethnicity and religious pedigree entitled them to a special place in God's kingdom without the fruit that springs from true repentance. Then he references the coming Messiah, Jesus, who he says will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, unlike his baptism of water. The image here is not a comfortable one. Like a reaper who
winnows grain, separating the wheat from the chaff, he preserves the wheat in his granary but burns the chaff "with unquenchable fire." If you think my message is hard to swallow, just wait for the message of the Messiah, he seems to say. And when Jesus begins his public ministry, he continues preaching the kingdom of God as the new order, into which one is inducted upon repentance and belief in the good news (Mark 1:14-15). Questions: What is the nature of the fruit John says the truly repentant should bear? What is the hardest thing to accept about the gospel message for you? Acts 20:26-27, 31 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. (For context, read 20:25-32.) As Paul prepared to travel to Jerusalem, en route to Rome, he stopped to meet with his beloved elders from the church at Ephesus, knowing he would never see them again. God had shown him that he would be imprisoned and persecuted for Christ. Because he had "proclaimed the kingdom" among them, he declares that he is "not responsible" for their blood. He exhorts the leaders to shepherd the church of God with care, because of the danger of "savage wolves" that would not spare the flock (vv. 28-30). Just as sentinels must be alert, watching for danger, they were to be alert to spiritual danger to the people of God. Just as Paul had warned them ceaselessly for three years, 24/7 with tears, they were to continue his work after his departure, watching over the flock with vigilance and warning the people of any threat so they could take appropriate action. They were not only to sound the alarm when danger was present, however. Just as Paul had testified to the good news of God's grace in Jesus Christ, they were also to convey the message of God's grace that could build them up and strengthen their faith. Questions: What sort of dangers did Paul warn about in his letters to the churches? What dangers does the church face today? What individuals has God placed in your sphere of influence who need the watchcare of a shepherd? Are you willing to serve in that capacity? For Further Discussion Reflect on the following poem, written by a TWW contributor on October 7, 2016, as the Draconid meteor shower peaked and Hurricane Matthew bore down on the East Coast of the United States. Shape Your Future By Joanna Loucky-Ramsey Dear people, Come look! The star showers shook The cosmic cobwebs As storm surges, ebbs; O'er earth, Matthew stirs, Alarming the curs, Who howl their distress, Warn impending mess,
Hurricane furies, Flash flooding worries. Your leaders you need Their pleadings to heed, To danger escape, Your future to shape, Evacuate fast, Avoiding the blast, Then shelter in place, No surf waves to chase. While warnings may chafe, We beg you, stay safe! 2016 Joanna Loucky-Ramsey. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the author. Responding to the News Identify someone in your church, denomination, or in the church universal, past or present, who serves as a role model for you of someone who faithfully carries out the function of a spiritual sentinel. What can you learn from their example? Prayer Lord, give us the courage to "speak the truth in love" to those who need to hear the truth and to experience your love. Help us not to be afraid to warn people of spiritual danger, but with the warning to always offer the hope that is in Christ Jesus who gave his life to rescue us from peril. Use us to direct people to safety in him. Because of his great love, and for his glory we pray., Amen.