People have lost most or all of their possessions. Rubble lays on top of concrete slabs where homes once stood. And like the tornadic winds overpowered everything in its path in some Delta towns, life has been topsy-turvy and cast into something surreal for thousands of residents. Where’s the silver lining in such devastation? “One of the first things that people wanted to ask when they found out that the man in John Chapter 9 was blind from birth was, who sinned- his father or mother?” said Emmanuel Baptist Church Pastor Chris Vowell. “But Jesus answered by saying that this was an opportunity for the glory of God to be manifested?”
Vowell explained to the Lenten Luncheon attendees at First United Methodist Church on Wednesday, March 29 that thankfully the idea that an affliction like blindness came from sin is antiquated. He did however, draw a parallel between the misfortune of this man and those impacted by recent tornadoes as opportunities for God’s glory to manifest through those who profess the faith. “When tragedy struck Rolling Fork, people just came,” he said. “They left their homes and provided assistance in any way that they could. And I believe that Rolling Fork is coming back bigger and better.”
Vowell explained that he is not a “a pie in the sky guy” and that there are those who are taking advantage of people’s misery. He has advice for those focusing on this aspect of recovery. “Just move past that, because there is far more good happening than bad,” he said. “Some people are just like the Pharisees, miserable religious people who focus on the negative. When Jesus healed the blind man, all the Pharisees wanted to do was look at the fact that Jesus performed the miracle on the Sabbath instead of asking a man who hadn’t been able to see his entire life, “What is it like?’ These were just some religious jerks trying to pin Jesus to the wall.”
Vowell said that he and other local clergy have been gathering at Hotel 27 each Wednesday morning for about seven months praying for miracles in the area. He believes that the Viking Cruise ship’s docking in Greenville a few weeks ago was the first sign of answered prayers and Junior Auxiliary requesting to have its Easter egg hunt at Emmanuel was another. And perhaps with a little urgency, the dire situation in the south Delta will turn out to be a miracle. “I think if we have been praying for a miracle and haven’t quite seen it yet, we ought to revisit it,” Vowell said. “Say, ‘Lord, I’m a little overdue for a miracle’ and he’ll probably appreciate your faith.” The next Lenten Luncheon is the final one for 2023 with Pastor John Brady scheduled to speak Wednesday April 5 at 11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 402 Washington Avenue.
