Standing Together: Support Our Communities in Hurricane Recovery

Join Us in Prayer
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God of the rain, God of the wind, God of the storm
We stand humbled by the power of the world you have made
You have created this world in balance yet so often our efforts disrupt that balance. 
Even so we know that in the midst of the strongest storm, you stand with us with us in love. 
Help us now to stand with our brothers and sisters, as they grieve, clean, repair, and rebuild. 
Give us the compassion to mourn with those who mourn. 
Give us the wisdom to rebuild in ways that work with your Creation instead of against it. 
Give us the courage to question our part in scarring your world. 
May we be voices of calm in a volatile world. 
May we be the presence of peace in a perilous world. 
May we have hearts of compassion in a turbulent world. 
May we be the helpers in a scary world. 
We pray in the name of the One who walked on the waves and spoke the storm into silence. 
Amen.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it is difficult to manage all of the emotions that may be swirling around inside of us. The initial shock at the scope of the damage gives way to grief over the loss of life. We feel overwhelmed thinking about the clean up and the rebuilding. We mourn with those who have to relocate and those who have lost homes and businesses. We question whether our government is doing enough and we dig deep within ourselves to think about what it is we can do to help make things even a little bit better. 

For those of us concerned with God’s Creation though, we may begin to notice a darker turn in our feelings. First, there is fear. We know that these storms are becoming more frequent and more severe. We wonder when and where the next big storm might hit and pray that we will be able to weather that storm. But if we’re honest with ourselves, there is also anger. How, after all of this, can people still be in denial about humanity’s role in a changing climate? How can people not see what it is we’ve done to our ecosystem and that of countless other species with which we share the planet? When are we going to finally take responsibility for our hand in creating our own disasters? 

There is, of course, a place for anger in the life of faith. And our fears about the next storms are valid. It’s very human to want to move from the space of shock and grief to the space of anger and frustration. Yet the road to justice for humans and all of Creation is one that cannot be traveled without compassion. Our need to blame someone must take a back seat to the needs for comfort, care, and consolation. The fact that these storms will likely become more frequent and more severe means that we must be more ready to respond to the immediate circumstance of those who stand in harm’s way. Our ministries of mercy must be more nimble and ready to act. Our generosity must increase. We must make the space in our hearts and possibly even in our homes that is required to shelter those in the storms’ wake.

After past national disasters, many of us have found consolation in the words of Fred Rogers: 
" I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' "

 I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' 

A world that has more dangers is a world that will need more helpers. The works of justice and mercy must walk hand in hand. Even as we seek to change the systems in a way that might someday make these kinds of events less frequent, we must now ready ourselves to mobilize our best efforts of loving service towards those, human and more than human, who have been battered by the winds and wavers. 

For those affected by Hurricane Helene & Milton, and for those who wish to provide aide to the affected, additional resources are noted below. 

For Those Affected: 

​Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina
On this page, you can find ways to help and get help as we recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Additional prayers can be found by clicking here.

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​National Council of Churches 
​The National Council of Churches (NCC) provides emergency response resources for recent hurricanes, including links to denominational donation opportunities and FEMA toolkits with messaging and mental health support for those affected.

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Assist Those In Need

Episcopal Church 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 
Presbyterian Church (USA) 
United Church of Christ 
United Methodist 
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 
American Baptist Home Missions
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
American Baptists Churches USA
Church of Brethren 
International Orthodox Christian Charity