"Sound of sheer silence"

The Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 
1 Kings 19:11-13

A year ago today, most of us woke up to that strange “sound of sheer silence” after Superstorm Sandy blew through. There was something holy in that silence, even with all the downed trees and power lines, and water being places it shouldn’t be. Nature gave us its worst, and we survived.  People and places still bear the scars from the storm, but we survived and prevailed.  God was and is with us in these trying times.

Anniversaries offer us the opportunity to reflect on what happened, mourn what was lost as well as capture the lessons learned.  I bought a manual can opener and a hand crank radio for my emergency bag. I also learned that we didn’t have emergency contact information for many parishioners, so we gather that information in case of such a situation in the future. 

But more importantly, we learned that we do endure even the worst trials of being without electricity for 2 weeks, or even having our home condemned.  We rebuild in one way or another, being more prepared for the next time, should there be one.  God is with us in those trials, through the hands of neighbors and strangers mucking out basements and donating clothes and other goods.  It was heartening to see the generosity from people all over the country who offered their gifts and talents to the rebuilding efforts.  This is the power of creation, which is even more forceful than nature.

Our prayers and support continue for those who are still not “home” after a year.  For those who lost everything, like St. Elizabeth’s Chapel in Ortley Beach, life will never be the same.  We cannot rebuild the past, only plan for the future.  May God bless their ministry and those whom they serve.

Thank you to all who supported our efforts throughout the year toward Sandy Relief.  We are Jersey Strong, yet we remember that that strength comes from God.

In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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