a beautiful mess

a brief recap for those outside tennessee or those tuning in to only mainstream media a few days a week: last saturday and sunday brought with them an astounding and terrifying amount of rainfall causing devastating, and sometimes fatal, flash flooding. perhaps one of the more remarkable aspects of the storm is that the rain did not come by way of hurricane or melting snow (w.i.c. global warm-freezing); the damage left behind and the deaths of several were not the result of tornado or earthquake. no, the contributing factor was, in a word, rainfall. the hardest hit areas of tennessee received nearly a third (some areas more) of their yearly rainfall in those two days alone!

even monday saw the continuing rise of the cumberland and harpeth rivers resulting in many parts of nashville proper to take on water and substantial damage: businesses along 1st and 2nd ave, the schermerhorn symphony hall, bridgestone arena (formerly the nashville arena/sommet center/gaylord entertainment center/nashville arena) opry mills, opryland hotel, and the famed grand ole opry house were all met by the rising waters of the cumberland.

and all of this is, simply speaking, not good. it is disturbing. but the silver lining of disturbance is it’s ability to move us. like many of our friends, once we knew our families and houses were spared, we began looking for ways to help. and then comes the barrage of ways to serve – but struggling with feeling exactly how you could serve, kind of feeling a little helpless because of so much need!of course, the fastest and easy thing – but still VERY much needed – was the redcross text effort: $10 to 90999.

then, one of our friends tipped us off to one of her friends who was collecting all sorts of clothes and toiletry items for pennington bend residents. so off to the dollar general store we went and purchased the items which would help at least a few people in the days to come…and then it was into the attic and through the 4 tubs of owen’s clothes he clearly did not fit anymore – trisha sorted it out and we ended up giving away a quantifiable grip of clothing for many a pennington boy, i hope. haha.

then, later in the week i heard of an opportunity to help out with trevecca, so i jumped at the chance and headed into town. i and two buddies delivered 7 couches (which they were able to buy from goodwill for a total of $76 – score!) and worked alongside delores and star ministries* to organize some food, clothes, and water – all in all, i only spent a little bit of time, great as it was, working with and for those affected by the flooding. i really wanted to get closer, to practice “immediate compassion,” to encourage, to listen, to do i-don’t-really-know-what, so before heading back home, i made my way back and around to:

lewis st/1st ave: where i spoke (and, to my surprise, laughed) with a “d*mn old, white,  brotha” – his own words – who “loves god today more than yesterday,” despite the fact that the hud housing apartments he was living in had just been remodeled and now stood a reeking and broken mess – all of what little possessions he owned now lay in a wet pile next to my car.

claiborne street: where i met a woman who was not affected by the flood, but her elderly father, who lived somewhere else in town, had been trapped for almost two days.

demonbreun street: where i was able to hear with new ears of the unimaginable erasure of tent city from ron and “d”, a couple of homeless people waiting to go…well, nowhere. tent city is no more. i learned later that it can’t even be accessed now except by people with full hepatitis shots and hazmat suits – it is a condemned hazardous area.

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for me, what GOD seems to be bringing up time and time again is the need for what i can only describe as immediate compassion: the practice of “getting in to the others skin” wherever and whenever you find yourself. and, i do see this being inclusive of the radical idea that we need to be present with people to truly practice immediate compassion. not that we can’t respond from a distance with money, resources, etc – but i do believe there is a marked difference between immediate compassion and a distant or separated response of compassion – though both can surely be used in their own rights!

no matter what we’re doing to serve and bring the kingdom, we need to do it with new eyes and new ears. and in this way, what act of service or monetary donation could ever be without purpose? how can we ever practice immediate compassion and not change those near us – even the very geological landscape – or not be changed ourselves?

please continue to pray for both those affected by the flood and those affecting those affected by the flood: may GOD be known as his disciples are known by their love and immediate compassion.

*star ministries is a great little food bank operating out of the strong passion and deep love of people like delores – a tennessee state university advisor who plans on retiring soon to work full time with star ministries and the communities between lewis and 1st ave.