Hurricane Helene makes landfall as a Category 4 storm

“Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified.” That was the morbid message the sheriff’s office in rural Taylor County, Florida had for those who chose not to evacuate prior to Hurricane Helene’s historic landfall. 

Earlier this week, expectations were that the storm may eventually reach Category 3, which was still cause for concern, but proved to be a dramatic understatement of Helene’s destructive potential. When it finally hit land last night, it was classified as a Category 4 and boasted sustained winds of more than 140 mph with gusts even higher than that, making it the “strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend.” As of this writing, more than a million people in Florida are without power and a state of emergency has been declared in 61 of the state’s 67 counties.

Still, the greatest dangers in such a storm do not come from the wind but, rather, from the water. 

As Brendan Farrington described, “While wind can tear off roofs, knock down trees, and snap power lines, storm surge can push buildings completely off their foundations, can trap and even drown people in their homes, wash out roads and bridges, toss boats inland and hammer anything in its path.” Some expected the surge—which measures how high the water level surpasses normal tides—to rise as high as 15 to 20 feet; far more than is needed to wreck most single-story homes and buildings. 

And even after devastating much of Florida, the storm remained a Category 1 hurricane as it moved across Georgia and beyond, with winds in excess of 70 mph.

In the face of such destruction, how should Christians respond?

3 steps for Christians to take

Our first responsibility is to pray. And while that step may feel a bit cliché and empty after being where most of us start with every tragedy that makes the news, it remains the most important step we can take. In the face of so much unknown, guidance from our omniscient God is essential. 

So don’t just say a quick prayer for protection then move on with your day. Take some time to truly ask the Lord how to pray, and then follow his lead. 

Second, look for ways to help. There are groups already on their way to help save the lives of those still at risk and to rebuild the lives of those who have lost so much. What can you do to partner with them in those efforts? It’s still possible to make a practical difference even if you are not physically able to lend a hand.

And lastly, perhaps the most important responsibility of Christians in the face of such doubt is to not lose hope. That hope does not require you to have a clear explanation for why God allowed Hurricane Helene to grow so strong or to do so much damage after it finally made landfall. Know that such tragedy does not inherently contradict God’s goodness and he is already working to redeem Helene’s destruction in ways only he can, but it’s alright if those theological truths feel insufficient to stave off any doubts or concerns you may be feeling today. 

After all, the hope we are called to have in Christ is not based on certainty but, rather, the product of the endurance and character that the Holy Spirit can help to build in us as we face suffering in his strength instead of our own (Romans 5:3–5).

And that hope, in turn, is often our most powerful witness to the world around us.

“A reason for the hope that is in you”

In a recent episode of the Denison Forum Podcast, Dr. Mark Turman and Preston Perry discussed how the idea of defending your faith ultimately comes back to what Peter wrote in his first letter:

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15–16).

Today, it seems that most people view apologetics as the ability to explain the faith in a way that intellectually justifies the belief that God is real and that Christianity is true. To be sure, such arguments have an important place, and those who engage in them while teaching others to do the same serve an important purpose in God’s kingdom. 

But that’s not really where the Bible starts.

Peter doesn’t say that we should be prepared to give a defense for the Christian faith but, rather, for “the hope that is in you.” Implied in that command is that if we don’t have hope, then we really don’t have much to defend. And if our hope is found in people, governments, or any source other than Christ, our defense will ring hollow. 

That’s why Preston Perry pointed out that the first step in any defense of our faith is to “honor Christ the Lord as holy.” 

Who is God to you?

Finding our hope in Jesus gets easier when our focus is fixed on honoring Christ as Lord: 

When he is truly the Lord of our lives, then everything and everyone else who would vie for that position will fall back to their rightful place. 

When he is truly the Lord of our lives, then our hope will always come from him. 

And when he is truly the Lord of our lives, the gentleness and respect with which we are called to defend our faith will be a natural byproduct of our relationship with God.

However, for all of that to be true, he cannot be Lord in name only. 

If God’s status as our Lord is a truth to which we’ve resigned ourselves rather than a reality in which we find purpose and joy, then we have not truly made him our Lord. 

On the one hand, he is and always will be the king of all creation, and nothing we say or do will change that fact. Yet, he has chosen to give us the freedom to decide whether or not we will accept him as such. And it is the latter choice rather than the former reality that will define the degree to which you are truly prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you. 

So which is he for you today? Begrudging king or chosen Lord? 

How you answer that question will define just how much hope you truly have to share with a world in desperate need of it. 

Choose wisely.

Friday news to know:

• Israel rejects US-led calls for a ceasefire with Lebanon
• NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted on five federal charges
• After 57 years in Oakland, the A’s win their final home game before moving
• High schoolers surprise janitor with a new jeep for his birthday
• On this day in 1540: The Jesuit order is established

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote of the day:

“The weakness of the Church lies not in the lack of Christian arguments but in the lack of Christian lives.” —William Barclay