Hurricane reinforces lessons of the Bible
It was the summer of 2004; I was on sabbatical from my pastoral role with my little family in Daytona Beach, Florida.
We lived in a beach house on leafy avenue three blocks from the beach, perfect for splashing toddlers and equally close to the local coffee shop, perfect for writing. Each morning I would sit and enjoy people watching and sipping on my cafe Americano.
Until one particular morning, when a sense of chaos descended. People were rushing, cars reversed into each other on the parking lot, while the din of raised voices and distant sirens filled the air.
The barista, who I now knew quite well, said, “Hey, Bond, you need to leave. We are closing.”
He called me James Bond because he was convinced after 6 weeks of visiting the location to write, I was clearly a British spy. “There is a hurricane coming, and Daytona is closing; this island is now closed; you need to go home.”
We had not realized the hurricane had changed direction and was now heading straight to Daytona Beach.
It was Hurricane Charley, the strongest storm ever to strike the United States. Charley lasted from August 9 to 15 as it made its way through Florida. It attained 150 mph (240 km/h) winds at its peak intensity, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the scale.
I rushed back to the house and began building our saferoom, gathering our emergency supplies, water, food, and a battery-powered radio. We watched the weather channel until the power flashed out and sat in the dark as the sound of the wind roared like a 747 had parked in the driveway and left its engines running. This was probably the most frightening event I had ever been in.
We had peace in the storm, in the saferoom.
The Bible never promises that we will escape the storms of life; however, it promises us peace and protection during those storms. Jesus famously said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27). Paul also said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11).
Bible peace is interesting and is rooted in the idea of the Greek word for peace (eirënë), which means in this verse means more than living a life with no tension or being peaceful and quiet or still, and at rest.
Rather, it is used for the serenity that a city enjoys when it has a caring, competent, and secure leader.
The theologian William Barclay writes that in Biblical times “villages had an official who was called the superintendent of the village’s eirënë, the keeper of public peace.” Jesus is seen as the keeper of peace.
He is our saferoom in the hurricane, helping us through the darkest times. Loving us, caring for us and praying for us.
We emerged from Charley shaken, but well. Our three small children slept through the whole event.