The Wired Word for 01192025 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 01/19/2025 ![rw-book-cover](https://readwise-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/images/article2.74d541386bbf.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[The Wired Word]] - Full Title: The Wired Word for 01/19/2025 - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #LAFires - #Wildfires - #ChristianFaith - #CommunitySupport - #InterfaithCooperation - #TraumaResponse - #ReligiousReflection Author: Communication Resources Team Source: The Wired Word for the Week of January 19, 2025 Reference: Pages 1-10 date created: 2025-01-17 15:00 --- # Title: L.A. Fires Wreak Havoc, Provoke Questions ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#summary) - [📖 Main Content](#main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#notes) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#methodology) - [❓ Questions](#questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#future-research) - [💡 Implications](#implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment](#deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis Prompt](#darvo-analysis-prompt) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#conclusion) ### References: - **"The Wired Word for the Week of January 19, 2025"** - Communication Resources - **Job 1:20-22 (NRSVUE)**: Job’s response to catastrophic loss - **Isaiah 43:1-2 (NRSVUE)**: God’s promise of protection - **1 Kings 19:11-12 (NRSVUE)**: God’s presence in silence after dramatic events - **Matthew 1:23 (NRSVUE)**: "Emmanuel"—God with us in times of crisis ## 📝 Summary: The article discusses the devastating wildfires in Southern California that began on January 7, 2025, and the aftermath of destruction that has left thousands displaced and many questioning the causes of such a tragedy. Amid the devastation, the article explores the theological reflections and biblical responses to suffering, with a particular focus on Job's response to loss, as well as other scriptures that offer hope and divine assurance. It emphasizes the role of faith communities in supporting those affected and reflects on the larger spiritual questions raised by large-scale tragedies. ## 📖 Main Content: The article reports on the wildfires that devastated Southern California in January 2025, comparing the scale of destruction to annual averages and discussing various causes attributed to the fires, such as climate change and human negligence. It also dives into the role of faith in responding to such tragedies, emphasizing how religious communities and scripture provide comfort in times of loss and suffering. The reflections include Job’s story from the Bible, illustrating the struggle with loss, faith, and the search for meaning in suffering. ### 🗒️ Notes: - **Wildfires Overview**: - On January 7, 2025, wildfires erupted in Southern California, causing widespread destruction. The fires burned through more than 40,000 acres, devastating communities and claiming at least 24 lives. - Over 12,300 structures were lost, including homes, businesses, houses of worship, and local landmarks, with damages estimated to reach tens of billions of dollars. - As of January 14, over 100,000 residents were still under evacuation orders. The firefighting effort, which included crews working long hours without relief, was complicated by the persistent winds and rugged terrain. - Speculation surrounding the causes of the fires ranged from political and social factors to climate change and infrastructure issues. - **The Role of Faith and Scripture**: - **Job 1:20-22 (NRSVUE)**: The story of Job is central in this reflection. Job, after losing his wealth, health, and family, responded by tearing his clothes and worshiping God, saying: > *“Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”* - This passage offers an example of maintaining faith despite facing overwhelming loss, which many in disaster-stricken areas can relate to, especially as they experience loss and trauma from the wildfires. - **Isaiah 43:1-2 (NRSVUE)**: This passage promises God’s presence and protection, saying: > *“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”* - This scripture provides hope for people affected by the fires, assuring them that God will not abandon them, even in the midst of disaster. - **1 Kings 19:11-12 (NRSVUE)**: This passage tells the story of Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb after fleeing from Jezebel. The passage describes powerful forces of nature—wind, earthquake, and fire—but God was not in any of them. Instead, Elijah found God in a *“sound of sheer silence.”* This reflects the idea that God's presence isn't always in dramatic events but can also be found in quiet, unexpected moments. > *“He said, ‘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.”* - This story offers a profound lesson for those facing overwhelming circumstances, showing that even in chaos and destruction, God’s presence might be felt in calmness, through acts of love and support from others. - **Matthew 1:23 (NRSVUE)**: *“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’”* - This passage emphasizes that God is with humanity in their most difficult moments, offering reassurance during times of hardship. - For those suffering from loss or trauma, this passage offers a profound truth: that God’s presence is with them, especially during their struggles. - **Faith Communities' Response to Tragedy**: - Christian communities often come together to provide practical assistance, emotional support, and spiritual guidance during natural disasters. - In Southern California, several faith communities, including churches and interfaith groups, have responded by offering shelter, supplies, and emotional support. For example, a church congregation that lost its building to the fire continues to meet and support other evacuees. - There is also an emphasis on interfaith cooperation, where different religious groups come together to assist one another, reflecting a shared commitment to helping those in need despite their differences in belief. - The work of first responders, volunteers, and neighbors supporting each other highlights the ways that faith translates into action. - **Theological Reflections on Suffering**: - The article invites readers to consider how they would respond to the suffering caused by such disasters. It raises questions about faith, the meaning of life and loss, and how we view God’s role in times of tragedy. - There is a focus on understanding the difference between *"God causing"* and *"God allowing"* suffering, with a theological discussion about how God can be present in disaster without being the cause of the suffering. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: - **Paraphrase of Job 1:20-22 (NRSVUE)**: Job, after losing everything—his wealth, his family, and his health—still chose to worship God. He acknowledged that both good and bad come from God and did not blame God for his suffering. - **Paraphrase of Isaiah 43:1-2 (NRSVUE)**: God promises His presence and protection in the midst of trials. Even when we go through waters and fires, He will not allow them to overwhelm us. God’s promise is one of comfort and safety, even in the toughest of times. ## 📰 Newsletter: **Headline**: - Document Tags: [[LA fire]] - Summary: The massive wildfires in Southern California that began January 7 caused the destruction of entire communities, requiring tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving many questions about what comes next. Class Members, The massive wildfires in Southern California that began January 7 caused the destruction of entire communities, requiring tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving many questions about what comes next. We ponder what happens to faith when disaster strikes, and where God is in such large-scale tragedies. This is a developing story. Check news sources for updates. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **L.A. Fires Wreak Havoc, Provoke Questions*****The Wired Word*** **for the Week of January 19, 2025** **In the News** On January 7, wildfires began to erupt in Southern California that decimated entire communities, caused at least 24 fatalities, and destroyed more than 12,300 homes, businesses, houses of worship and local landmarks, according to CalFire. Damage is estimated to run into the tens of billions. More than 40,300 acres (or about 56 square miles) have been scorched in a week's time. Compare that to 1,360 acres, which is the average amount of acreage burned by wildfires in the entire state of California each January between 2013 and 2024. As of Tuesday, January 14, more than 100,000 residents were still under evacuation orders. Fire crews, many of which have worked up to 48 hours without relief, gained some ground when the winds died down, allowing for more air assets to be deployed in the firefighting effort. Authorities warn that conditions could worsen at any time, however. Before the flames of the L.A. area fires had even been 1% contained, speculations and rumors began to fly about who or what was to blame for the unprecedented scale of the destruction. One's preferred scapegoat, depending on one's ideology, ranged from "woke politics and DEI" to Israel, arson, "homeowner libertarianism" (David Wallace-Wells), the power company, bad leadership, underfunding of critical infrastructure, poor forest management, overdevelopment in beautiful but risky fire-prone regions, inadequate controlled burns, prolonged drought, rugged terrain, changing climate patterns that lead to more frequent and deadlier natural disasters, and more. In *The Guardian*, Eric Holthaus wrote: "The greenhouse gases humans continue to emit are fueling the climate crisis and making big fires more common in California. As the atmosphere warms, hotter air evaporates water and can intensify drought more quickly." Isaac Saul of the *Tangle* newsletter, wrote that "when you put a year of high rains causing productive vegetation in front of a dry year that turns that vegetation into fuel, then add the Santa Ana winds, you get a tinderbox. ... in that kind of environment, a small spark can grow into a racing inferno with terrifying speed." "Our national infrastructure is failing to adapt to meet the trend of more dangerous wildfires," Saul added. "California experienced record rainfall last year; where is that water now, when firefighters need it to combat a blaze on the doorstep of the country's second-largest city? The answer is simple: It's in the ocean." Why had the state and local governments not invested in increasing reservoir capacity and in pumping stations to push water uphill to communities in mountainous terrain, Saul wondered. "Why was the Pacific Palisades reservoir offline and empty before the fire?" More on this story can be found at these links: [The Los Angeles Wildfires. *Tangle*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCqLzpeLB6rdSMxHPuO9BqHmtC-2BWs5er7QuIJrtr9IT9-2B5HBHBpSK39t9afvJpPcUg-3D-3Dm0Ya_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp63NVhD4Q2dp8EvAEniStoLJ-2Fag40oejFRm0pcT6tSwYyN-2B06gthdSpCupdoRrcUNZPLonIZa42pKjlTw5l59hMPb9rxp9Ck0Bkpl07FZ1-2FHYTs0Nd7u1l-2F63GQeW2ifuvNvIfDmkxdyTy-2F82yeQNQJ4WmxdwQvPlKToX8b5XMU9Q6O2r1RVd-2Bm1iQhf3qA1QkHeA3eZnlBZ2dYmdcY07P-2Bk-3D) [Live Updates: Firefighters Rush to Contain L.A. Blazes as Death Toll Rises to 24. *The New York Times*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNsrwUXOOvkeR13dBGM1lyXYOyGu_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2BtSV4WLCAyW9NgsdJxdJ5kkbZubJFGmgRayI1pIROUYeXFbXMQQMadrxJsA4Bk3u-2Ftxn3bMGhpigKSOja66C8-2Ba5bR3tz9-2FPWQCocKy1CDjlNuPA-2FPsg-2Bs-2B-2Fp5SLv5p9-2FcewdYVX6-2Fs8aoVLDfNP3Gg8eGy-2B3RYnvdU0cBG8MobVSx6pU1XY7MbvWgUoH3Sed380J3bbZQcsfLxbqCsdJo-3D) [Families in Shock Begin to Visit Their Charred Homes in the Los Angeles Area. *AP News*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPATP33kMTA2ju5nPjZAZjKAU7ray7oqTJAeSP6z6zdXO7tw1_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ybMks8IP83GKM7WpT5AbRxXKpu9-2BGjfXw8kyE3rJB9K-2FrQBLi5qhI8jCAo1iu9I-2F0zQuv65iiVlvWcEUSP79QYURsvOTh68wVNJKPognMePETAWXX5KntKN-2FG3-2FO9jzsxykHGDm-2BM9RmURsulsRuLbvLXGIELFTS8LVN287XquTQPwUrtB2v8yQDNKYo9t8LYaHTcCqOgVfiT3-2FacWPPaM-3D) [California Congregations Vow to Help Neighbors Even as Their Buildings Are Lost to Fires. *Religion News Service*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzbnk3QkeBQtkLe3N0wvHXN9Ngk2pd4uzk9ljhe-2BKZHf6uDUXn4CMaAMj-2FUUHOVxnPCeG2kc-2B0ymWFbbwEnfDWjkIvGceExWCSHwNi-2FO7WNcOMUkl2vlUOrsKipDgcevs9ag0hcyvEsWJqU1q-2FeMnrxHbT-q_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp67Ovpc0om5TvILWlKLlpAyxzc7LJeQdHrqfuOEpyg3BxhH2FTfYuS-2Fi-2FUwrNtyZ5N4arEw7XnYcW-2FrbZfA3lWKViTwQq11wvqugcN1LyBtx7yNZiHuCiH5InvKv22WbPIW8Ii-2FnP6Lzb-2FwRJ4XIHhJEqrcIqDXLLTGUaoiuKvDZLq1-2F9038ELvReulAOiknYNIlobBJ9mtztDnkUZCmJZaY-3D) [When Our Church Was Tested by Fire. *Baptist News Global*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbt7hEDIfaEyAu51DvBRIOjIzJ4Iabfjp-2BNW2kQLUY1NDPuG3LEoyvWNkcnWobIqQ6s-3DYEX9_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2BgNgX2UHL3Uq8yDIgRJrbosagseuC9Yc5p9Ul6p0yK5Vszo7kMkiNiRoocw1unxCztEowmA-2F4BLnagpFXBkYlDNRh-2FNz6yJPxT4VY1C8na-2BdpLP5t3WfWa-2B-2Fmbh8AUEh3zJGa-2FwXSipaH96-2FHbILOmQi83LNqSLeOEhoBMu-2BuzNfmj7jpREgMXzL6ixTKMPb6Qx8rMWEuJ0IoNuCN1xK-2Fc-3D) **The Big Questions** 1. What questions does a large-scale disaster like the L.A. fires raise for you? 2. Have you ever suffered traumatic loss that completely turned your life upside down? How was the trauma magnified if it extended to your neighborhood, church, extended family or broader community? 3. What immediate steps should be taken in the wake of a community disaster to meet the short-term needs of those affected? How should the community determine how to move forward to find long-term solutions to problems that led to the disaster? 4. What role should Christians play in times of catastrophic loss? 5. Would you rather give to help someone specific who is experiencing catastrophic loss, or give to a large overarching organization with a mission to help many people? Explain your answer. **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **Job 1:20-22***Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.* (For context, read [Job 1:9-22](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxePI33VawzTg3wokdK-2FzqLuU0pwihFRA1UksbEwZr4kzhiF0BnicEVsJo5vyBHaZAzl1o_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp68L5qZ1ST2gwTHoW-2BREgmZG2LC68eYBDZVwwwKqBAItI9oy1PL6PXU7kxVpKe9Y1bz-2BYIVtqwjeQgGyO1VzgMU3-2FpUFSfVBgwhydO99IMrP8JmsBD-2FQeZ4s99F2vznTf6ffEGZWuYpHAScwsvIWVYwGdWdQm7DLvK0W4OISv8WDX-2FElRAA-2FMALMIY-2BCSG8vzdl01m9mgMprNEgb-2BDyXA-2FAc-3D).) The accuser came before the Lord and suggested that Job was loyal to God only because God had been kind to him, blessing him with wealth and protection. If God removed those blessings, the accuser said, Job would abandon God and curse him to his face (vv. 9-11). God gave the accuser permission to test Job's commitment to God. Job then lost all his flocks, herds, ranch hands and shepherds, and his ten children in violent catastrophes (vv. 12-19). Last Sunday, the congregation of [Friendship Pasadena Church](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNv9wxfPG6fzchEyJF7e7B3zeUiAFrJViOr99q3tJjnf37W-2Bve9B5plsu4f-2FBNdqvGJQSZKCX7t8Gu2McRDxJQEe-2FsHo0m94U-2Fd7nVyY9DBnLH2n1u7kGwITg-2BuDIYopyzs-3DtMWW_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65QV-2Br0z2WKaeKR-2BfH0c2rEq-2BBZB1of77dFyhQInd4mLAeq77TP5XJm1q8wODQyjVF8jKz5gvfFNwthsXSdpVix60Pl1MkoUkkRda-2F5E3oZrl6O946XgbU11s9fOkpYJu9hVIQqx3BLFDvKccNYnPY6Sn4YzPaeXNIvKdp-2BkfIrU33Tb-2Bd9BykKGruyc5nq-2FGGr83vTzPOQYmUD8TokhV94-3D), the first black Baptist church in Pasadena, met to comfort one another. More than a dozen in attendance had lost their homes in the wildfires. Lucious Smith, the church's senior pastor, asked his congregants if anyone felt like they were living the story of Job. Many hands in the pews went up. In the song, ["If Heaven Was Never Promised To Me" (Video 2:58)](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18DOc4fjFJu1z6BDGICBmWbtGwshnuHfZvz2Js4tqKksQ-3D-3DvIhn_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2FJObTIaW0nKOYkTp8IzmwPM1i4ynm69hu5KyFZzcSxD7CiiBaa8oNHKDe1N53C1GeQhbLJdvzByJN3lsbYMS-2B6FOuAbxI9ZRszEnF8wA33h7J-2Bh5ErteojQWRitBSiuxed-2FXq8slmZboaLAlTdX6PMYHVQJs12vd-2Bnvnu-2FNk9eaQuyZNGoirmZqCBkXZOzzNuXiSlp6kXuVE2DoTgAJOjY-3D), Andraé Crouch asserts that even without the promise of eternal life in heaven, knowing God is worth everything. [In this video](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJdUw7lIHxVmLla8LZGSjXfFRiyA03JKVkGjnKGvf-2FES9gPWyogv6tBL4Oij6PP3MntFsfYvqQimYF7iw1B7GZ8ZWCMAta9lJgrgYc787aAi5kIJ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ypeOAPp8bMlI7MefkL-2Bq299kjDJhD6DU-2FHHS-2BwHA98LwmmVtqRxCb90-2F-2BmBf2VeFidlXf7vAc66xGO4ve1Zf2UNazcSiHSZFr5lEgEG9HFWUlwMCRQt2dW2ysG2-2BAfVrxoCYqtEdGyfqqO5qmRIZ-2FAvTG-2BN56aG-2Ff9eorKuJ5bXI60xcbk2CCGe1-2FBZQtyujYVtqChylBKtCNoxVTU-2BzDg-3D), a family that lost their home to the fires sings "Hallelujah" as they stand in the rubble of what was once their neighborhood. We note that Job did have plenty to say as his health declined and his suffering was prolonged. He was not above complaining, not immune from depression or anger, but he kept coming back to strong statements of faith in God ([Job 13:15](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxLmyDBexwFuT76VKDWku1TykwbIFuwPWv5zamJ-2BFCbdA-3D63B__-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp64LqaOcUdSe-2BuFuNGJ-2Bxqd4q-2Fi-2BcbhwfntE9n81Vx2ca-2FfjYz9NI7W57jEY0Au3F009gj3evGvkSn5bGpFvVXhEjzfyfYDSHnsHSwhSUD5KSFRxri0UynjSZdc4Arf3chJbg9aQ3euVU7ervx-2BJ76OcTtplur9iVeCkXzxgiGzAEVAIfdO98m6gZqg8S2qHJ5s1VnSt9dcLiDm37GzWP328-3D); [Job 19:25-27](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxIB5BfTbAq-2FcO7qJnlzOL6cqFC3vqhz0NNHLQnm95wypjULTmOFqryeJ3M8jlqvxhrADg_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6w5bJfi1dsEyolFM8-2B6LLCf0b6ycQA-2FlFfi-2BYoc8qoiis7iQ9NRc4QvT9-2Fe5U-2FfrJ2VaXNCq7U1GUV55yeY2q5tEG-2B-2F4TLVdweQPm401lMDfQFMqDVb-2B93TtK5V9fpIkeiA6YX82Yux93LWD1jDcs1X-2FSWi7hPnKWhmKG8Arm5x6nvscagGT2xA3QcU-2FN5SRaVOuQEep0qPntySjg-2FPKkh8-3D)). > **Questions:** Compare the attitude expressed in the lyrics with the way Job reacted to the losses he experienced in this life. How closely does the song reflect your own expectations in your relationship with God? What, if anything, do you feel God "owes" people, and why? What would it take to be able to sing "Hallelujah" in the midst of such devastating loss? **Isaiah 43:1-2***But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.* (For context, read [Isaiah 43:1-7](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx01q-2FDUFHyH4Q-2FNuCp9d7ZxS-2FEVlrA5hQmu8aCzcmfTC3zVg95oV87DdSKRbeolp6-80N_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6zHTR5XzmlJiTBfDL3QsngtVhfehko5eKMZUpNg73fVyAnt4IWc1UN3jUL-2BUXrgSWujbSmZYWAe3VEhdKLxRPYnS4ep-2B4GoD7WrjWfneJrdK7wx2QSu3qI3QXVYyf66qt1CH56ZdFsGLs-2FPteqFzLqM85qsbSi411z9g4r5oLCkW8iVpe9Y3Gb-2FXruEoxejBmcxLUNijBYgzcT1cH7RP8No-3D).) Bible passages listed in lectionaries are selected far in advance of the dates when they are scheduled for use. So to many, it may have seemed ironic or prescient to hear this particular text read only days after the spark that lit the wildfires in southern California. In the context, God assures the exiled people of Israel that he has not forgotten them, but will exchange entire nations to secure their release. He promises to save them and return their children who had been taken hostage because he cherishes and loves them and created them for his glory. God says he has called them by name, not just by their personal name, but by his name (v. 7), which is another way of saying that they are part of his family. > **Questions:** What does this passage mean for people who have literally been overwhelmed by floods or burned by fire? Is it a fool's errand to trust God's promise in such a case? Why or why not? Of what benefit is God's promise to be with you when you are going through such traumatic experiences? What is the significance of the repetition of the preposition, "through" and how does it connect with [Psalm 23:4](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxC8ooL516v5ZAN-2B7QD5wSbFTb2NvJjl1cfAMD9IvHpigWkYfohywCPOAMt2zFCrmv33-d_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ynvRzVkYaxnz1VgeapAu4k5CzF6GJQvUM3GVqMcEx1ROpnNtYin-2FFS-2BKdlnBI3BubwaPaIP8UD8VhWWVe9N-2BB8Q10xvQi3IYJna2DjZW15zafwOZ5-2FKa1e-2B1zSnQYCaBfB1ALNUohkICgQMUDmGGBFZ01zAZTE0UJiK52uoapUxxwVNvbpuN2zzoFie9C4e4VVnAgZGzGAJTPWqtUn1pYg-3D)? **1 Kings 19:11-12***[The word of the LORD] said, "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.* (For context, read [1 Kings 19:9-14](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfg8cQo5t8kKCb0xyK-2Be5CnIMsbMQkHWNPsF05cmgq9Oj8Jmxv4NCoIneOtdXS-2FpXBArU_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp61pHAPB99kvJxRb8YM9pYHBL1efCSCGsbdz-2BV4A2u6MtmITjyP49nxPWzp9MtNDt6-2FILCiy1omMH3eqUpf-2F9r4-2BYZletxRXsLT-2BDJD3QDfW-2F7-2FxqFqK-2FZmhum4mBpe0c-2B1GK-2BhLnXXTejr6xxFgHwECz-2FQN4Y37gSDX2iNewp8ayGssU1jJQQT4xOJacfXq9uFb-2BdbvGuIAqkJZCk0TFFD0-3D).) After serving God faithfully, the prophet Elijah incurs the wrath of Jezebel, who threatens his life. Elijah flees in fear, coming to Sinai, the mountain where Moses had encountered God in dramatic fashion. "Perhaps Elijah had come to Sinai, expecting the same kind of thunder and lightning Moses experienced," wrote Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin in [God Is Not](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3DpQGP_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp63lmB4sL6IQFXSwJ4nFesuFGbn-2BH3B0AwnajTQFzeFYV4IphDv8ZBylzGVok8AjYEeF-2BTmKF-2BXJp1BAJr-2F7UekoC8Tg-2FiO80LZFJ9ciq5UICTBYqH2rLBJUXZx0csVh503a3DDMiKEqHjDu1Hnb4EOWkvFCulef3zKL4FgV2R4oNZIFOV8hX6IrzgyYKTJnQCGMP9S7jWWMKm84zLMz0qIU-3D) [in](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3DQcF5_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp62XXLTS4GNWZ2uIpM5rvMLIlMoN3IIBrEHX-2Fss-2BZYv8rxSYCefvErE22kyociNtrTERBFfJ6hFIsp1cw17g4aTfHMages0iKpOsAi9WDvRvwAQmRfOO7xgjRc2dcOjS2Rc2nhJWKZ0NbubXVvIdDLDGfRx1T16Oqbs3N0jbloegJuxmpiKjH2E9b-2FcJsSafHlTFMmq9tr51SfgHlFEHDUUs-3D) [the Fires](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3D9gqq_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6xekXjmLO9nrKiSCfgvqzvWI4XTr33gq-2BYVYGAh9fFq-2FXNwjMSEswv-2BebJpl26PX1ZeMDHxP7grThbGD38ftvTT6rvABx-2BruP-2BVHStMFxXDARZZcwz8JSArNlYPuSocpbVOeCue-2FC0dhmcjZv7cSEIMKRlTqYsbGatbCmoiklkFy-2BAsGt9H-2B-2FIpREko-2FEt25JFnlTgP-2BbQw0sT01ByS4moo-3D). "We sometimes translate that last phrase as 'the still, small voice,' as opposed to the Cecil B. DeMille effects of God's thunderous voice the first time we were at Sinai. Rashi says it means 'a voice coming out of the silence.'" "Where is God in all this?" Salkin asks. "I can only think God will not be in the fire, but in the *kol d'mamah dakah* -- voices coming out of silence. God is present, in the courage of the firefighters, the selflessness of first responders, the generosity of those who will give of themselves, and the resilience of all." The evangelist [Franklin Graham](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEieeyZY4bj5SWyZVLv6sR9bMvOky3ZAk8bwrZwRtL2Z-2FsnxXiuZcREnq1jlW2q0uoyzhQ1o8cFHXOqAQGtcRC34kIGy7dyvHZbb7xGSge18MTLSL4-2BjDHLRUBwFFgIqziPZSbOpAiOyYV2yub75EGz04fnXMYwLq5XXhhQd-2BYPTF-0L_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65Xv66G5vh1DoqHSv-2Bhw5aaSY1Nd-2FgsMqSOh0tws6qjqIGqpI48qSjWaE-2FFFkxc80A3iUjmEQZ2hrx-2F4FTjGQj-2BRwV0aHYra8YxQCkr1Mn0OH5w4ijdrSNcfk6F2Tq7WfNS5XYiLi2LQQyZjB45e4BQcgLdgDAivn7qzeMcDabzu4D8sXKyY0QND95R4v8O0IB4-2B6UKoVdOuzBSin9DOL5Y-3D), responding to suggestions that the fires are God's judgment on sin-infested Hollywood, said: "People have lost everything. A lot of people are asking 'Why?', and that's a hard question to answer. ... The reality is we're going to have more storms like this. ... the most important thing that we as Christians can do is make sure everyone understands that God loves them. And that when storms like this come, it's not God's judgment." > **Question:** While scripture teaches us that God is omnipresent ([Psalm 139:7-12](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxkxWnH75PDKI-2FLOvwz4PjDIRgwALhkaCBWpdv-2B5xV7kmeOZM6GjjPGK-2FNit6GaJWvNgcH_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp68-2F83DhyoZ42TDYpAT7QPKFqXUcjKTEf7HKP4uk1oXVZTf4qzfNZ4voHAVwDAOZuEapCHBAOOdtcZAcLalaKVzBT6W931mNkPCb55rlyBo0rUDJ93COxCbY5zFHkDkT0I0xU9PnKz5yQomlAyf3KPunJoA0lD46VGizPbUbhBh-2BlPyhHTnDDzzqGXe2uxEQAiH-2ByYAaeFT9ommUfh69r8oo-3D); [Jeremiah 23:23-24](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxJvgik996U85rhX2pdLmiu-2Fk8EmZGvHhF0MhzQ7W9ue1-2B4ysaLz-2F2IWizZMK5CNxtIKLz_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65RCoMUho8a9Ntp-2BScfo9r3zcxn97-2FYUuw9Y3QcmQN5daHm2phAJPyZJr0mZe9cpVeIbS455y1WpnJblxDYByT7MMqmsSCbhd5miuQAZOxZjgo1O64QqcRatu82ZY3zOZ2Lrp6cSXeRhpr5cetXT6aNazEmuj059wDP8Xt8xFj9CdITSUPMicPD-2FSczRAeM4HMPxVRM6-2BDbY6utU4J4zfmE-3D)), this text tells us that there is a sense in which God is not "in" every event of nature. What does that mean? **Daniel 3:24-25***Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, "Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." He replied, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the fourth has the appearance of a god."* (For context, read [Daniel 3:13-30](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxTHBpP10iVPollgWVFvvw6VTQRxHXXOGaMLupvXquOpZwmare8RlTnwyAX4C3iPvjvzk1_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp69OHTfdBuMyRZxNua5-2FeuyHqR9jss0XjBbOyP0PybXuS64r38Mg33nKrNUbVogYe4vnwygw8VAOvJ0BVrOZrMHCwy0INO7AEseWxJ6vX-2Br8H2Ajz2diDRg0ORzWfFDh-2FwbsPOkQyBFMRdacITTijvblqPHmzJw82BQPdS4D5U-2FKO6dF-2FzfERxmDRWupqW9kXo8JaSgjg-2Fk6FVGQTlVO-2BrXA-3D).) **Matthew 1:23** *"Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."* (No context needed.) When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his subjects bow down to worship a golden statue he set up, his Hebrew slaves refused to obey, even though they knew they faced the death penalty. So the king threw them into a furnace of blazing fire. But instead of being incinerated, the three men were joined by a fourth man with "the appearance of a god." The king saw them "unbound, walking in the middle of the fire," unhurt. Nebuchadnezzar began to understand that the God the Hebrews served was more powerful even than his torture chamber. > **Questions:** Here we see that God enters into dangerous situations that threaten his own. When have you experienced the closeness of God when you were in danger? How does the experience of the three men in the fire connect with the incarnation of Jesus, Emmanuel, "God is with us" ([Matthew 1:23](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDSFWhTrBD9Im33-2BRE4qCFHCeQsCUW4RM6sRko07KxB7gu46t_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6z61lbegvr6dP6meuv61o2NOIDQ97rMvHUyRbRO8zQzqv7eQeyUFiRyVzrS8t-2Fbv0w7tI4Q4k2rs-2FWgxKLQuEA5MscUVqYwoBTBp-2F8q3O025sgn9MeNVQze-2FOe18x60ju6YDiEkSZRtQsIH9KLn6hdj1E3XYgW1vF-2Bg7EifexddbDYzwfpuOwBeiF38W-2F2A7L7JsQayRSSnOgDDlz2uyhOI-3D))? **For Further Discussion** 1. [The California blazes have destroyed or damaged more than a dozen houses of worship](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnza2Y2AH6gq5kos-2FWw8qj4JSobkmSTx8gWgtcYrvSFQKvYfyUtgm0esYCY65DTGzy7SIcZHzhhf7t5-2FlBwbku-2FCOK4fX3eghMvr10YkX-2F9R7Wnxxn8MQcZAiDCiJ9TF3BWg-3DYstQ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6yn4q7LHymoFmUK5IHWH08009SK3XrIHYBai-2Bogk0HO175trbvsksBwetR5mEtUPtYyD5dbarGgS9bYq2xT-2FjNMIQF0aiPrF5chk5gAlVz2ozfALyXA2JZB4TGTUKMkasQImqNHZbF-2FZOoj7ETXNiN-2B2t78NXJdh-2FqHn00gT1VS1CzT-2Fi9AQ6iLayx24dFfgs1SaJ-2B-2FskAoOEvmYFf6jmso-3D). The Rev. George Van Alstine, 88, a staff member at Altadena Baptist Church which was lost in the fire, said the interfaith community has often come together to serve local people, notably through a food pantry hosted by Altadena Community Church, which also burned down. Najeeba Syeed, a theology professor, with ties to Masjid Al-Taqwa, a historically African-American mosque in Altadena that was ravaged, said leaders of the town's interfaith community have been contacting each other to offer support and find ways to work together in this crisis. "They're helping their own communities, but they're also stepping up and stepping beyond and helping each other," said Syeed. "That's part of the story -- faith communities, even when they are damaged, still show up for the broader community." What evidence of ecumenical or interfaith cooperation do you see in your area? How important is that kind of cooperation to your own expression of your Christian faith? How, if at all, do you personally work with other Christians, with people of other faith traditions, or with people who claim no religious identity, to further common goals? 2. Discuss this, from TWW Team Member Frank Ramirez: "There's an interesting meme making its way across social media which shows the number of states whose populations are less than Los Angeles County. It looks like around two-thirds of the country. This is a huge economic unit and the staggering losses from the wildfires will affect all the economy. Paul says, 'For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves' ([Romans 14:7](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxB1sByFkCq00De7qxK5ZsvuROzR5mCdUJS3F6kzdtd9XTnE5sukDOFyF0z93mkbGUQGaG_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp60ZEaWz-2BseMioabbBVSnkFzBckFzJz7lY-2F2Ce2LPqep6ZmP0ZDNoQ7KgBo3J64sL4Ruh-2BXIihnTb2twKkLQZErKAjSsh-2Fs7uETlq3hmoVh-2BTNgEcBac-2FB-2FUEuFiBZNcUqEGC0O59GUYb1ecaKykePrSQNmce6TQNAnRUQDWMGxHUY5UZMwWi0LoNhrgwrG6wGGdKLR0dW-2BVwW8NJzPTGwTM-3D)). We are all connected. At times of disaster we are none of us Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female ([Galatians 3:28](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxkbFv7nat5bHPJJ9MZ1n5OySYvJiBXn4-2BOjQMsAmwgothsx6vrCh2X3WoiWw2WoxFVbs5_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6w87iYZmadSWUbecAZKB9sPzzfhhWJpdv9rr0FIgVa2EHAlPIL3bPngLLSW6bVmYhgiysK3ccPy-2B-2FfunBnm3lvfdoYq5TwCe0S7mqHjrp-2F3WWK-2FkWVizb61Po4BDO-2BN-2Be-2FSi-2BYgJR-2B76paSJedmj0SzIXD3CeT-2BaQgZ5ZIZH7mEWeY8PiExnRMffEwflf8Xfkxc-2FHO9OJmrTVTaU0pC3zBA-3D)). Or it ought to be that way." Danny Johnson, 72, a member of [Friendship Pasadena Church](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNv9wxfPG6fzchEyJF7e7B3zeUiAFrJViOr99q3tJjnf37W-2Bve9B5plsu4f-2FBNdqvGJQSZKCX7t8Gu2McRDxJQEe-2FsHo0m94U-2Fd7nVyY9DBnLH2n1u7kGwITg-2BuDIYopyzs-3DDQOR_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp62UoO4129XIEnM3grfHIZppj0F9p-2BfBfAoB7lOP37YPQyd10rCyIHe3WRSZhTeWhmgJYiCh2jOgfcwkPVrqEsnHasG-2BdDiAOcgJ0IG3WDHu788NC3ogvkE3dkThJHWBAk-2FlbOfLAQmuCuSFDKBQ99UQfSwbBetkdiVvXZsZAlFYeVbRli4C6JFq6gILCBCfSMH-2BW9mxu-2F0go9tqA45xvmNE-3D), said his home was fine, but he has been affected emotionally. "It's a small community, a very connected community," he said, "so what happens to one affects everybody." Jae Kim, the principal of St. Andrew Catholic School in Pasadena, opened the building to displaced persons. "You can hug them, pray with them, listen to them as best you can," Kim said. "What else is there to do?" 3. Hospital chaplain and author, J.S. Park, wrote that we sometimes say unhelpful things to people who are suffering loss: ● It's just stuff. ● At least you're alive. ● It's just a dog. ● At least the miscarriage is not a real baby. ● God is in control. ● This is God's judgment. ● You can rebuild. ● At least \_\_\_. While we may mean well, our words may "incur a second pain: a callous dismissal," Park says. "[that] adds the burden of having to walk on thin ice, because now we know you do not understand." What is much more helpful, Park asserts, is when people "listen, without fixing, to the whole thing, and know when to intervene because all along they've been listening to what I need." When people lose a home or community, as they have in the L.A. wildfires, Park says, "'Stuff' can be irreplaceable photos, first date stubs, ... toddler's drawings, ... a dog collar from a deceased canine friend, ... Stuff can be life and memory and a lifetime." What platitudes are unhelpful in times of trauma? What words or actions have you found meaningful, comforting or empowering to you during your own times of crisis? **Responding to the News** Here are some resources that may be useful to those who have been affected by the wildfires: [Palisades Fire. *Los Angeles Fire Department*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPFnqm3-2FpY9DMZiOYn2brZJebl4utucw1RDwVmt375TSR8bd2_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6wI6KIdUxkRDs-2FE9LMG8vJv6xy1WAnVr6taEH6wWeGERIWdHaT-2BXj891AwhXtqvv1P3H88ELa1J0Fro9ffd36sjX80xfcfWhuEtUmrfXZh9AQ34qY9i6R6wUXMBShL-2FToSYxEfhQl6NVAT9a0J9BLWhK7-2F3ohlRacCR94UeI4p2C1DypGNCg75bdLlEF4V-2B-2B6BNwbNraR7kNuZGr6Y691M0-3D) [Current Emergency Incidents. *CalFire*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBoJ6VTm-2FJpah-2FjihnAghLm3t6jrklv0vcgMj1XHVyuw1i3F_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2Fl1t-2FXiV3LkZr9dsXPhIrYjFavjTH52sXI57U-2Ffi76p6OylnLRq4QhxDgqfWbV-2F0mJyMUppMbUX14FybtSfqHQrEDYQs8nYF86hu-2B5aeH6HUVOzK8NogXOaH17BEImlTcsP4G12si3QQF-2FFGHc0km-2FxtmbfsB4r-2BhaQgB9x0hDLphymCBS5z37REvDLxUcSPc-2F7rGimMFapE0kU7yQ5UMU-3D) [Los Angeles County website](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.dqeiNMb-2BNKuBLN2Of6-2FCWX0BG5TOneCdy7vFHTBgWEuL6dt384O6mVABOlIbtJEdlaG__-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp67SSYuBqgeZyGoQLfWa5gd8ZF4j1yiYHRA8trXHLZfyo7oZJofoQ6VQ9XAQbOnHjUzAnPxf7gX2kxFw-2FWMhl-2BCoFEvWUAzDSJFBFznuDo-2F4sPbAmQ83fpIkyPrUr4eF6giluYWMe45SGu2qAFtzQben3ke7R01UnYfTlQx0iWxHEia9r-2FP1JHahfMgRu8G0Ndg9YLwM7i4d9-2FVGced3oz40-3D) allows people to search specific addresses within the Eaton and Palisades fire areas to see if they've been damaged or destroyed. The Mutual Aid of Los Angeles Network, founded to help coordinate donations and services to those in need, has put together [a list of groups offering help to those affected by the fires](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIkzYwcw-2BuE9mTTHRXz-2Fyjwhjks7MQZ50UeFx7OSvyR8Ny-2FC8gaIIQHBvveDq58cnNa7vdETTW5uBqVT65i29-2BRS0msxfOEdBEhFGW8PbMBk4OnW2Oj7-2BWeQ3EY6mdo3xJ52CuEkj65Yjf-2Bd57m1o-2BQ-3D6A_1_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp69E120aNg3ezLQ96Zmu0kBsGbdtDHEbkkdgikxTrKTOJLNpKfk0rVuFqGwMhE-2FRSAQ1baP0IgQBN9USHQxDmO-2BRHkmfFzVAfwHtArv-2FGI1wn85GmAuhyNAeW4yWW0smNrEFC9Ixq6SRZJgqUG-2BwN7-2ByE9YtvJimDP6VjQHfG8kAx4k-2Fj-2FdHlNo0qYBsy4AlAj-2Bhn8JsrP9vNxuK1bTtSg94-3D). Check with your local church or denomination for ways to support relief efforts through your family of faith. **Prayer** Creator of wind, water, earth and fire, have mercy on all those in danger today. Help those fighting to save lives by decreasing wind gusts and increasing water supplies where they are most needed. For all those displaced and hurting, bring comfort, courage, hope and assurance of your loving presence. Guide us to find ways to support our neighbors in their distress. Amen. ****Copyright 2024 Communication Resources**** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=_9xrorZ42oBRF0QDn8zIhaUPcNKFBzdQgWYhulVtwChoMDAwdTAwMKnqx918EzleR8oPArNYYIOekdpGYSvP1lrb83qfxtrSzYJDskuL0j5EpK5HzE8TnlJAeT8mGCHQPjncnku3Ug7ttzmveKmvi5TwY3ZERC20XsE-HReUV72BWdUqpgWKFSMk9TY2ST2jGsLTxsj17p_asOYczDgkE4dAi-g5gnoWLqrA5P81DrUs3iuEoO_EJPLMZk-S9e5O_GAeQdgZC6PcPR-UHLTo_aKZtWEcoB_XUYt3bG4cFHqS7HYeSFO8-wtTARHvNS-ho7WVQljILnriL6CKtnt9iM2rrofa7UNh2llGK1IGX8y8PSjurj6SWJ2rQVoJggtS08n6XS9dTzAtSX0f4tqKozgVfmlyjZ6pwD4LIW4vNsU6eeFRprg-EywdS_UY0imaLiZ_nF_Ej96XDpdokAMoFAYBY1Fk4lGNgb1RxA9h1K_YF_CATBX2rQ2iExcqjgdfxUp24Xcoh_4xglLiS56LSKfsf1RdDj6DDJ2924pxHwDA9GVpnXMzUKo4t6RuY4ny32zPnhSCMafOp8jLSWSQtT2bNfiHEpKJD-UaG3ytKdvtLOkmtp4-IumESHclZQpIm0ZsOppZZVk=) <div>Class Members, The massive wildfires in Southern California that began January 7 caused the destruction of entire communities, requiring tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving many questions about what comes next. We ponder what happens to faith when disaster strikes, and where God is in such large-scale tragedies. This is a developing story. Check news sources for updates. <center><img src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/></center> L.A. Fires Wreak Havoc, Provoke Questions The Wired Word for the Week of January 19, 2025 In the News On January 7, wildfires began to erupt in Southern California that decimated entire communities, caused at least 24 fatalities, and destroyed more than 12,300 homes, businesses, houses of worship and local landmarks, according to CalFire. Damage is estimated to run into the tens of billions. More than 40,300 acres (or about 56 square miles) have been scorched in a week's time. Compare that to 1,360 acres, which is the average amount of acreage burned by wildfires in the entire state of California each January between 2013 and 2024. As of Tuesday, January 14, more than 100,000 residents were still under evacuation orders. Fire crews, many of which have worked up to 48 hours without relief, gained some ground when the winds died down, allowing for more air assets to be deployed in the firefighting effort. Authorities warn that conditions could worsen at any time, however. Before the flames of the L.A. area fires had even been 1% contained, speculations and rumors began to fly about who or what was to blame for the unprecedented scale of the destruction. One's preferred scapegoat, depending on one's ideology, ranged from "woke politics and DEI" to Israel, arson, "homeowner libertarianism" (David Wallace-Wells), the power company, bad leadership, underfunding of critical infrastructure, poor forest management, overdevelopment in beautiful but risky fire-prone regions, inadequate controlled burns, prolonged drought, rugged terrain, changing climate patterns that lead to more frequent and deadlier natural disasters, and more. In The Guardian, Eric Holthaus wrote: "The greenhouse gases humans continue to emit are fueling the climate crisis and making big fires more common in California. As the atmosphere warms, hotter air evaporates water and can intensify drought more quickly." Isaac Saul of the Tangle newsletter, wrote that "when you put a year of high rains causing productive vegetation in front of a dry year that turns that vegetation into fuel, then add the Santa Ana winds, you get a tinderbox. ... in that kind of environment, a small spark can grow into a racing inferno with terrifying speed." "Our national infrastructure is failing to adapt to meet the trend of more dangerous wildfires," Saul added. "California experienced record rainfall last year; where is that water now, when firefighters need it to combat a blaze on the doorstep of the country's second-largest city? The answer is simple: It's in the ocean." Why had the state and local governments not invested in increasing reservoir capacity and in pumping stations to push water uphill to communities in mountainous terrain, Saul wondered. "Why was the Pacific Palisades reservoir offline and empty before the fire?" More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCqLzpeLB6rdSMxHPuO9BqHmtC-2BWs5er7QuIJrtr9IT9-2B5HBHBpSK39t9afvJpPcUg-3D-3Dm0Ya\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp63NVhD4Q2dp8EvAEniStoLJ-2Fag40oejFRm0pcT6tSwYyN-2B06gthdSpCupdoRrcUNZPLonIZa42pKjlTw5l59hMPb9rxp9Ck0Bkpl07FZ1-2FHYTs0Nd7u1l-2F63GQeW2ifuvNvIfDmkxdyTy-2F82yeQNQJ4WmxdwQvPlKToX8b5XMU9Q6O2r1RVd-2Bm1iQhf3qA1QkHeA3eZnlBZ2dYmdcY07P-2Bk-3D">The Los Angeles Wildfires. Tangle</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNsrwUXOOvkeR13dBGM1lyXYOyGu\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2BtSV4WLCAyW9NgsdJxdJ5kkbZubJFGmgRayI1pIROUYeXFbXMQQMadrxJsA4Bk3u-2Ftxn3bMGhpigKSOja66C8-2Ba5bR3tz9-2FPWQCocKy1CDjlNuPA-2FPsg-2Bs-2B-2Fp5SLv5p9-2FcewdYVX6-2Fs8aoVLDfNP3Gg8eGy-2B3RYnvdU0cBG8MobVSx6pU1XY7MbvWgUoH3Sed380J3bbZQcsfLxbqCsdJo-3D">Live Updates: Firefighters Rush to Contain L.A. Blazes as Death Toll Rises to 24. The New York Times</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPATP33kMTA2ju5nPjZAZjKAU7ray7oqTJAeSP6z6zdXO7tw1\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ybMks8IP83GKM7WpT5AbRxXKpu9-2BGjfXw8kyE3rJB9K-2FrQBLi5qhI8jCAo1iu9I-2F0zQuv65iiVlvWcEUSP79QYURsvOTh68wVNJKPognMePETAWXX5KntKN-2FG3-2FO9jzsxykHGDm-2BM9RmURsulsRuLbvLXGIELFTS8LVN287XquTQPwUrtB2v8yQDNKYo9t8LYaHTcCqOgVfiT3-2FacWPPaM-3D">Families in Shock Begin to Visit Their Charred Homes in the Los Angeles Area. AP News</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzbnk3QkeBQtkLe3N0wvHXN9Ngk2pd4uzk9ljhe-2BKZHf6uDUXn4CMaAMj-2FUUHOVxnPCeG2kc-2B0ymWFbbwEnfDWjkIvGceExWCSHwNi-2FO7WNcOMUkl2vlUOrsKipDgcevs9ag0hcyvEsWJqU1q-2FeMnrxHbT-q\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp67Ovpc0om5TvILWlKLlpAyxzc7LJeQdHrqfuOEpyg3BxhH2FTfYuS-2Fi-2FUwrNtyZ5N4arEw7XnYcW-2FrbZfA3lWKViTwQq11wvqugcN1LyBtx7yNZiHuCiH5InvKv22WbPIW8Ii-2FnP6Lzb-2FwRJ4XIHhJEqrcIqDXLLTGUaoiuKvDZLq1-2F9038ELvReulAOiknYNIlobBJ9mtztDnkUZCmJZaY-3D">California Congregations Vow to Help Neighbors Even as Their Buildings Are Lost to Fires. Religion News Service</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPDOhFUSKFTeB4q7KNfv1pbt7hEDIfaEyAu51DvBRIOjIzJ4Iabfjp-2BNW2kQLUY1NDPuG3LEoyvWNkcnWobIqQ6s-3DYEX9\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2BgNgX2UHL3Uq8yDIgRJrbosagseuC9Yc5p9Ul6p0yK5Vszo7kMkiNiRoocw1unxCztEowmA-2F4BLnagpFXBkYlDNRh-2FNz6yJPxT4VY1C8na-2BdpLP5t3WfWa-2B-2Fmbh8AUEh3zJGa-2FwXSipaH96-2FHbILOmQi83LNqSLeOEhoBMu-2BuzNfmj7jpREgMXzL6ixTKMPb6Qx8rMWEuJ0IoNuCN1xK-2Fc-3D">When Our Church Was Tested by Fire. Baptist News Global</a> The Big Questions 1. What questions does a large-scale disaster like the L.A. fires raise for you? 2. Have you ever suffered traumatic loss that completely turned your life upside down? How was the trauma magnified if it extended to your neighborhood, church, extended family or broader community? 3. What immediate steps should be taken in the wake of a community disaster to meet the short-term needs of those affected? How should the community determine how to move forward to find long-term solutions to problems that led to the disaster? 4. What role should Christians play in times of catastrophic loss? 5. Would you rather give to help someone specific who is experiencing catastrophic loss, or give to a large overarching organization with a mission to help many people? Explain your answer. Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxePI33VawzTg3wokdK-2FzqLuU0pwihFRA1UksbEwZr4kzhiF0BnicEVsJo5vyBHaZAzl1o\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp68L5qZ1ST2gwTHoW-2BREgmZG2LC68eYBDZVwwwKqBAItI9oy1PL6PXU7kxVpKe9Y1bz-2BYIVtqwjeQgGyO1VzgMU3-2FpUFSfVBgwhydO99IMrP8JmsBD-2FQeZ4s99F2vznTf6ffEGZWuYpHAScwsvIWVYwGdWdQm7DLvK0W4OISv8WDX-2FElRAA-2FMALMIY-2BCSG8vzdl01m9mgMprNEgb-2BDyXA-2FAc-3D">Job 1:9-22</a>.) The accuser came before the Lord and suggested that Job was loyal to God only because God had been kind to him, blessing him with wealth and protection. If God removed those blessings, the accuser said, Job would abandon God and curse him to his face (vv. 9-11). God gave the accuser permission to test Job's commitment to God. Job then lost all his flocks, herds, ranch hands and shepherds, and his ten children in violent catastrophes (vv. 12-19). Last Sunday, the congregation of <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNv9wxfPG6fzchEyJF7e7B3zeUiAFrJViOr99q3tJjnf37W-2Bve9B5plsu4f-2FBNdqvGJQSZKCX7t8Gu2McRDxJQEe-2FsHo0m94U-2Fd7nVyY9DBnLH2n1u7kGwITg-2BuDIYopyzs-3DtMWW\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65QV-2Br0z2WKaeKR-2BfH0c2rEq-2BBZB1of77dFyhQInd4mLAeq77TP5XJm1q8wODQyjVF8jKz5gvfFNwthsXSdpVix60Pl1MkoUkkRda-2F5E3oZrl6O946XgbU11s9fOkpYJu9hVIQqx3BLFDvKccNYnPY6Sn4YzPaeXNIvKdp-2BkfIrU33Tb-2Bd9BykKGruyc5nq-2FGGr83vTzPOQYmUD8TokhV94-3D">Friendship Pasadena Church</a>, the first black Baptist church in Pasadena, met to comfort one another. More than a dozen in attendance had lost their homes in the wildfires. Lucious Smith, the church's senior pastor, asked his congregants if anyone felt like they were living the story of Job. Many hands in the pews went up. In the song, <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPPXTV2R-2Bm0Kz58iOCQYIq18DOc4fjFJu1z6BDGICBmWbtGwshnuHfZvz2Js4tqKksQ-3D-3DvIhn\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2FJObTIaW0nKOYkTp8IzmwPM1i4ynm69hu5KyFZzcSxD7CiiBaa8oNHKDe1N53C1GeQhbLJdvzByJN3lsbYMS-2B6FOuAbxI9ZRszEnF8wA33h7J-2Bh5ErteojQWRitBSiuxed-2FXq8slmZboaLAlTdX6PMYHVQJs12vd-2Bnvnu-2FNk9eaQuyZNGoirmZqCBkXZOzzNuXiSlp6kXuVE2DoTgAJOjY-3D">"If Heaven Was Never Promised To Me" (Video 2:58)</a>, Andraé Crouch asserts that even without the promise of eternal life in heaven, knowing God is worth everything. <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJdUw7lIHxVmLla8LZGSjXfFRiyA03JKVkGjnKGvf-2FES9gPWyogv6tBL4Oij6PP3MntFsfYvqQimYF7iw1B7GZ8ZWCMAta9lJgrgYc787aAi5kIJ\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ypeOAPp8bMlI7MefkL-2Bq299kjDJhD6DU-2FHHS-2BwHA98LwmmVtqRxCb90-2F-2BmBf2VeFidlXf7vAc66xGO4ve1Zf2UNazcSiHSZFr5lEgEG9HFWUlwMCRQt2dW2ysG2-2BAfVrxoCYqtEdGyfqqO5qmRIZ-2FAvTG-2BN56aG-2Ff9eorKuJ5bXI60xcbk2CCGe1-2FBZQtyujYVtqChylBKtCNoxVTU-2BzDg-3D">In this video</a>, a family that lost their home to the fires sings "Hallelujah" as they stand in the rubble of what was once their neighborhood. We note that Job did have plenty to say as his health declined and his suffering was prolonged. He was not above complaining, not immune from depression or anger, but he kept coming back to strong statements of faith in God (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxLmyDBexwFuT76VKDWku1TykwbIFuwPWv5zamJ-2BFCbdA-3D63B\_\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp64LqaOcUdSe-2BuFuNGJ-2Bxqd4q-2Fi-2BcbhwfntE9n81Vx2ca-2FfjYz9NI7W57jEY0Au3F009gj3evGvkSn5bGpFvVXhEjzfyfYDSHnsHSwhSUD5KSFRxri0UynjSZdc4Arf3chJbg9aQ3euVU7ervx-2BJ76OcTtplur9iVeCkXzxgiGzAEVAIfdO98m6gZqg8S2qHJ5s1VnSt9dcLiDm37GzWP328-3D">Job 13:15</a>; <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxIB5BfTbAq-2FcO7qJnlzOL6cqFC3vqhz0NNHLQnm95wypjULTmOFqryeJ3M8jlqvxhrADg\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6w5bJfi1dsEyolFM8-2B6LLCf0b6ycQA-2FlFfi-2BYoc8qoiis7iQ9NRc4QvT9-2Fe5U-2FfrJ2VaXNCq7U1GUV55yeY2q5tEG-2B-2F4TLVdweQPm401lMDfQFMqDVb-2B93TtK5V9fpIkeiA6YX82Yux93LWD1jDcs1X-2FSWi7hPnKWhmKG8Arm5x6nvscagGT2xA3QcU-2FN5SRaVOuQEep0qPntySjg-2FPKkh8-3D">Job 19:25-27</a>). <blockquote> Questions: Compare the attitude expressed in the lyrics with the way Job reacted to the losses he experienced in this life. How closely does the song reflect your own expectations in your relationship with God? What, if anything, do you feel God "owes" people, and why? What would it take to be able to sing "Hallelujah" in the midst of such devastating loss? </blockquote> Isaiah 43:1-2 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx01q-2FDUFHyH4Q-2FNuCp9d7ZxS-2FEVlrA5hQmu8aCzcmfTC3zVg95oV87DdSKRbeolp6-80N\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6zHTR5XzmlJiTBfDL3QsngtVhfehko5eKMZUpNg73fVyAnt4IWc1UN3jUL-2BUXrgSWujbSmZYWAe3VEhdKLxRPYnS4ep-2B4GoD7WrjWfneJrdK7wx2QSu3qI3QXVYyf66qt1CH56ZdFsGLs-2FPteqFzLqM85qsbSi411z9g4r5oLCkW8iVpe9Y3Gb-2FXruEoxejBmcxLUNijBYgzcT1cH7RP8No-3D">Isaiah 43:1-7</a>.) Bible passages listed in lectionaries are selected far in advance of the dates when they are scheduled for use. So to many, it may have seemed ironic or prescient to hear this particular text read only days after the spark that lit the wildfires in southern California. In the context, God assures the exiled people of Israel that he has not forgotten them, but will exchange entire nations to secure their release. He promises to save them and return their children who had been taken hostage because he cherishes and loves them and created them for his glory. God says he has called them by name, not just by their personal name, but by his name (v. 7), which is another way of saying that they are part of his family. <blockquote> Questions: What does this passage mean for people who have literally been overwhelmed by floods or burned by fire? Is it a fool's errand to trust God's promise in such a case? Why or why not? Of what benefit is God's promise to be with you when you are going through such traumatic experiences? What is the significance of the repetition of the preposition, "through" and how does it connect with <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxC8ooL516v5ZAN-2B7QD5wSbFTb2NvJjl1cfAMD9IvHpigWkYfohywCPOAMt2zFCrmv33-d\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6ynvRzVkYaxnz1VgeapAu4k5CzF6GJQvUM3GVqMcEx1ROpnNtYin-2FFS-2BKdlnBI3BubwaPaIP8UD8VhWWVe9N-2BB8Q10xvQi3IYJna2DjZW15zafwOZ5-2FKa1e-2B1zSnQYCaBfB1ALNUohkICgQMUDmGGBFZ01zAZTE0UJiK52uoapUxxwVNvbpuN2zzoFie9C4e4VVnAgZGzGAJTPWqtUn1pYg-3D">Psalm 23:4</a>? </blockquote> 1 Kings 19:11-12 [The word of the LORD] said, "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. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfg8cQo5t8kKCb0xyK-2Be5CnIMsbMQkHWNPsF05cmgq9Oj8Jmxv4NCoIneOtdXS-2FpXBArU\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp61pHAPB99kvJxRb8YM9pYHBL1efCSCGsbdz-2BV4A2u6MtmITjyP49nxPWzp9MtNDt6-2FILCiy1omMH3eqUpf-2F9r4-2BYZletxRXsLT-2BDJD3QDfW-2F7-2FxqFqK-2FZmhum4mBpe0c-2B1GK-2BhLnXXTejr6xxFgHwECz-2FQN4Y37gSDX2iNewp8ayGssU1jJQQT4xOJacfXq9uFb-2BdbvGuIAqkJZCk0TFFD0-3D">1 Kings 19:9-14</a>.) After serving God faithfully, the prophet Elijah incurs the wrath of Jezebel, who threatens his life. Elijah flees in fear, coming to Sinai, the mountain where Moses had encountered God in dramatic fashion. "Perhaps Elijah had come to Sinai, expecting the same kind of thunder and lightning Moses experienced," wrote Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin in <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3DpQGP\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp63lmB4sL6IQFXSwJ4nFesuFGbn-2BH3B0AwnajTQFzeFYV4IphDv8ZBylzGVok8AjYEeF-2BTmKF-2BXJp1BAJr-2F7UekoC8Tg-2FiO80LZFJ9ciq5UICTBYqH2rLBJUXZx0csVh503a3DDMiKEqHjDu1Hnb4EOWkvFCulef3zKL4FgV2R4oNZIFOV8hX6IrzgyYKTJnQCGMP9S7jWWMKm84zLMz0qIU-3D">God Is Not</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3DQcF5\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp62XXLTS4GNWZ2uIpM5rvMLIlMoN3IIBrEHX-2Fss-2BZYv8rxSYCefvErE22kyociNtrTERBFfJ6hFIsp1cw17g4aTfHMages0iKpOsAi9WDvRvwAQmRfOO7xgjRc2dcOjS2Rc2nhJWKZ0NbubXVvIdDLDGfRx1T16Oqbs3N0jbloegJuxmpiKjH2E9b-2FcJsSafHlTFMmq9tr51SfgHlFEHDUUs-3D"> in</a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnzaw8GVTjMql0IsEK7vMAHTM7YfhbXHljZg2F3JoyE-2Bj2zLPGJbQLojk2wVjmJm4iaU-3D9gqq\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6xekXjmLO9nrKiSCfgvqzvWI4XTr33gq-2BYVYGAh9fFq-2FXNwjMSEswv-2BebJpl26PX1ZeMDHxP7grThbGD38ftvTT6rvABx-2BruP-2BVHStMFxXDARZZcwz8JSArNlYPuSocpbVOeCue-2FC0dhmcjZv7cSEIMKRlTqYsbGatbCmoiklkFy-2BAsGt9H-2B-2FIpREko-2FEt25JFnlTgP-2BbQw0sT01ByS4moo-3D"> the Fires</a>. "We sometimes translate that last phrase as 'the still, small voice,' as opposed to the Cecil B. DeMille effects of God's thunderous voice the first time we were at Sinai. Rashi says it means 'a voice coming out of the silence.'" "Where is God in all this?" Salkin asks. "I can only think God will not be in the fire, but in the kol d'mamah dakah -- voices coming out of silence. God is present, in the courage of the firefighters, the selflessness of first responders, the generosity of those who will give of themselves, and the resilience of all." The evangelist <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEieeyZY4bj5SWyZVLv6sR9bMvOky3ZAk8bwrZwRtL2Z-2FsnxXiuZcREnq1jlW2q0uoyzhQ1o8cFHXOqAQGtcRC34kIGy7dyvHZbb7xGSge18MTLSL4-2BjDHLRUBwFFgIqziPZSbOpAiOyYV2yub75EGz04fnXMYwLq5XXhhQd-2BYPTF-0L\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65Xv66G5vh1DoqHSv-2Bhw5aaSY1Nd-2FgsMqSOh0tws6qjqIGqpI48qSjWaE-2FFFkxc80A3iUjmEQZ2hrx-2F4FTjGQj-2BRwV0aHYra8YxQCkr1Mn0OH5w4ijdrSNcfk6F2Tq7WfNS5XYiLi2LQQyZjB45e4BQcgLdgDAivn7qzeMcDabzu4D8sXKyY0QND95R4v8O0IB4-2B6UKoVdOuzBSin9DOL5Y-3D">Franklin Graham</a>, responding to suggestions that the fires are God's judgment on sin-infested Hollywood, said: "People have lost everything. A lot of people are asking 'Why?', and that's a hard question to answer. ... The reality is we're going to have more storms like this. ... the most important thing that we as Christians can do is make sure everyone understands that God loves them. And that when storms like this come, it's not God's judgment." <blockquote> Question: While scripture teaches us that God is omnipresent (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxkxWnH75PDKI-2FLOvwz4PjDIRgwALhkaCBWpdv-2B5xV7kmeOZM6GjjPGK-2FNit6GaJWvNgcH\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp68-2F83DhyoZ42TDYpAT7QPKFqXUcjKTEf7HKP4uk1oXVZTf4qzfNZ4voHAVwDAOZuEapCHBAOOdtcZAcLalaKVzBT6W931mNkPCb55rlyBo0rUDJ93COxCbY5zFHkDkT0I0xU9PnKz5yQomlAyf3KPunJoA0lD46VGizPbUbhBh-2BlPyhHTnDDzzqGXe2uxEQAiH-2ByYAaeFT9ommUfh69r8oo-3D">Psalm 139:7-12</a>; <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxJvgik996U85rhX2pdLmiu-2Fk8EmZGvHhF0MhzQ7W9ue1-2B4ysaLz-2F2IWizZMK5CNxtIKLz\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp65RCoMUho8a9Ntp-2BScfo9r3zcxn97-2FYUuw9Y3QcmQN5daHm2phAJPyZJr0mZe9cpVeIbS455y1WpnJblxDYByT7MMqmsSCbhd5miuQAZOxZjgo1O64QqcRatu82ZY3zOZ2Lrp6cSXeRhpr5cetXT6aNazEmuj059wDP8Xt8xFj9CdITSUPMicPD-2FSczRAeM4HMPxVRM6-2BDbY6utU4J4zfmE-3D">Jeremiah 23:23-24</a>), this text tells us that there is a sense in which God is not "in" every event of nature. What does that mean? </blockquote> Daniel 3:24-25 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, "Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." He replied, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the fourth has the appearance of a god." (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxTHBpP10iVPollgWVFvvw6VTQRxHXXOGaMLupvXquOpZwmare8RlTnwyAX4C3iPvjvzk1\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp69OHTfdBuMyRZxNua5-2FeuyHqR9jss0XjBbOyP0PybXuS64r38Mg33nKrNUbVogYe4vnwygw8VAOvJ0BVrOZrMHCwy0INO7AEseWxJ6vX-2Br8H2Ajz2diDRg0ORzWfFDh-2FwbsPOkQyBFMRdacITTijvblqPHmzJw82BQPdS4D5U-2FKO6dF-2FzfERxmDRWupqW9kXo8JaSgjg-2Fk6FVGQTlVO-2BrXA-3D">Daniel 3:13-30</a>.) Matthew 1:23 "Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." (No context needed.) When the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his subjects bow down to worship a golden statue he set up, his Hebrew slaves refused to obey, even though they knew they faced the death penalty. So the king threw them into a furnace of blazing fire. But instead of being incinerated, the three men were joined by a fourth man with "the appearance of a god." The king saw them "unbound, walking in the middle of the fire," unhurt. Nebuchadnezzar began to understand that the God the Hebrews served was more powerful even than his torture chamber. <blockquote> Questions: Here we see that God enters into dangerous situations that threaten his own. When have you experienced the closeness of God when you were in danger? How does the experience of the three men in the fire connect with the incarnation of Jesus, Emmanuel, "God is with us" (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEE9arX6m0yHZZAbtNhYaDSFWhTrBD9Im33-2BRE4qCFHCeQsCUW4RM6sRko07KxB7gu46t\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6z61lbegvr6dP6meuv61o2NOIDQ97rMvHUyRbRO8zQzqv7eQeyUFiRyVzrS8t-2Fbv0w7tI4Q4k2rs-2FWgxKLQuEA5MscUVqYwoBTBp-2F8q3O025sgn9MeNVQze-2FOe18x60ju6YDiEkSZRtQsIH9KLn6hdj1E3XYgW1vF-2Bg7EifexddbDYzwfpuOwBeiF38W-2F2A7L7JsQayRSSnOgDDlz2uyhOI-3D">Matthew 1:23</a>)? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPCHqQGefcQySWH-2Bid1tRnza2Y2AH6gq5kos-2FWw8qj4JSobkmSTx8gWgtcYrvSFQKvYfyUtgm0esYCY65DTGzy7SIcZHzhhf7t5-2FlBwbku-2FCOK4fX3eghMvr10YkX-2F9R7Wnxxn8MQcZAiDCiJ9TF3BWg-3DYstQ\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6yn4q7LHymoFmUK5IHWH08009SK3XrIHYBai-2Bogk0HO175trbvsksBwetR5mEtUPtYyD5dbarGgS9bYq2xT-2FjNMIQF0aiPrF5chk5gAlVz2ozfALyXA2JZB4TGTUKMkasQImqNHZbF-2FZOoj7ETXNiN-2B2t78NXJdh-2FqHn00gT1VS1CzT-2Fi9AQ6iLayx24dFfgs1SaJ-2B-2FskAoOEvmYFf6jmso-3D">The California blazes have destroyed or damaged more than a dozen houses of worship</a>. The Rev. George Van Alstine, 88, a staff member at Altadena Baptist Church which was lost in the fire, said the interfaith community has often come together to serve local people, notably through a food pantry hosted by Altadena Community Church, which also burned down. Najeeba Syeed, a theology professor, with ties to Masjid Al-Taqwa, a historically African-American mosque in Altadena that was ravaged, said leaders of the town's interfaith community have been contacting each other to offer support and find ways to work together in this crisis. "They're helping their own communities, but they're also stepping up and stepping beyond and helping each other," said Syeed. "That's part of the story -- faith communities, even when they are damaged, still show up for the broader community." What evidence of ecumenical or interfaith cooperation do you see in your area? How important is that kind of cooperation to your own expression of your Christian faith? How, if at all, do you personally work with other Christians, with people of other faith traditions, or with people who claim no religious identity, to further common goals? 2. Discuss this, from TWW Team Member Frank Ramirez: "There's an interesting meme making its way across social media which shows the number of states whose populations are less than Los Angeles County. It looks like around two-thirds of the country. This is a huge economic unit and the staggering losses from the wildfires will affect all the economy. Paul says, 'For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves' (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxB1sByFkCq00De7qxK5ZsvuROzR5mCdUJS3F6kzdtd9XTnE5sukDOFyF0z93mkbGUQGaG\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp60ZEaWz-2BseMioabbBVSnkFzBckFzJz7lY-2F2Ce2LPqep6ZmP0ZDNoQ7KgBo3J64sL4Ruh-2BXIihnTb2twKkLQZErKAjSsh-2Fs7uETlq3hmoVh-2BTNgEcBac-2FB-2FUEuFiBZNcUqEGC0O59GUYb1ecaKykePrSQNmce6TQNAnRUQDWMGxHUY5UZMwWi0LoNhrgwrG6wGGdKLR0dW-2BVwW8NJzPTGwTM-3D">Romans 14:7</a>). We are all connected. At times of disaster we are none of us Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female (<a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxkbFv7nat5bHPJJ9MZ1n5OySYvJiBXn4-2BOjQMsAmwgothsx6vrCh2X3WoiWw2WoxFVbs5\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6w87iYZmadSWUbecAZKB9sPzzfhhWJpdv9rr0FIgVa2EHAlPIL3bPngLLSW6bVmYhgiysK3ccPy-2B-2FfunBnm3lvfdoYq5TwCe0S7mqHjrp-2F3WWK-2FkWVizb61Po4BDO-2BN-2Be-2FSi-2BYgJR-2B76paSJedmj0SzIXD3CeT-2BaQgZ5ZIZH7mEWeY8PiExnRMffEwflf8Xfkxc-2FHO9OJmrTVTaU0pC3zBA-3D">Galatians 3:28</a>). Or it ought to be that way." Danny Johnson, 72, a member of <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp8D6DLjlY-2BYeSgiERPY31j8e-2B5591OLMOHJjlyhF-2Fi7AAr4cp7Cyajsvsv5Aj6oNv9wxfPG6fzchEyJF7e7B3zeUiAFrJViOr99q3tJjnf37W-2Bve9B5plsu4f-2FBNdqvGJQSZKCX7t8Gu2McRDxJQEe-2FsHo0m94U-2Fd7nVyY9DBnLH2n1u7kGwITg-2BuDIYopyzs-3DDQOR\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp62UoO4129XIEnM3grfHIZppj0F9p-2BfBfAoB7lOP37YPQyd10rCyIHe3WRSZhTeWhmgJYiCh2jOgfcwkPVrqEsnHasG-2BdDiAOcgJ0IG3WDHu788NC3ogvkE3dkThJHWBAk-2FlbOfLAQmuCuSFDKBQ99UQfSwbBetkdiVvXZsZAlFYeVbRli4C6JFq6gILCBCfSMH-2BW9mxu-2F0go9tqA45xvmNE-3D">Friendship Pasadena Church</a>, said his home was fine, but he has been affected emotionally. "It's a small community, a very connected community," he said, "so what happens to one affects everybody." Jae Kim, the principal of St. Andrew Catholic School in Pasadena, opened the building to displaced persons. "You can hug them, pray with them, listen to them as best you can," Kim said. "What else is there to do?" 3. Hospital chaplain and author, J.S. Park, wrote that we sometimes say unhelpful things to people who are suffering loss: ● It's just stuff. ● At least you're alive. ● It's just a dog. ● At least the miscarriage is not a real baby. ● God is in control. ● This is God's judgment. ● You can rebuild. ● At least \_\_\_. While we may mean well, our words may "incur a second pain: a callous dismissal," Park says. "[that] adds the burden of having to walk on thin ice, because now we know you do not understand." What is much more helpful, Park asserts, is when people "listen, without fixing, to the whole thing, and know when to intervene because all along they've been listening to what I need." When people lose a home or community, as they have in the L.A. wildfires, Park says, "'Stuff' can be irreplaceable photos, first date stubs, ... toddler's drawings, ... a dog collar from a deceased canine friend, ... Stuff can be life and memory and a lifetime." What platitudes are unhelpful in times of trauma? What words or actions have you found meaningful, comforting or empowering to you during your own times of crisis? Responding to the News Here are some resources that may be useful to those who have been affected by the wildfires: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPFnqm3-2FpY9DMZiOYn2brZJebl4utucw1RDwVmt375TSR8bd2\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6wI6KIdUxkRDs-2FE9LMG8vJv6xy1WAnVr6taEH6wWeGERIWdHaT-2BXj891AwhXtqvv1P3H88ELa1J0Fro9ffd36sjX80xfcfWhuEtUmrfXZh9AQ34qY9i6R6wUXMBShL-2FToSYxEfhQl6NVAT9a0J9BLWhK7-2F3ohlRacCR94UeI4p2C1DypGNCg75bdLlEF4V-2B-2B6BNwbNraR7kNuZGr6Y691M0-3D">Palisades Fire. Los Angeles Fire Department</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPBoJ6VTm-2FJpah-2FjihnAghLm3t6jrklv0vcgMj1XHVyuw1i3F\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp6-2Fl1t-2FXiV3LkZr9dsXPhIrYjFavjTH52sXI57U-2Ffi76p6OylnLRq4QhxDgqfWbV-2F0mJyMUppMbUX14FybtSfqHQrEDYQs8nYF86hu-2B5aeH6HUVOzK8NogXOaH17BEImlTcsP4G12si3QQF-2FFGHc0km-2FxtmbfsB4r-2BhaQgB9x0hDLphymCBS5z37REvDLxUcSPc-2F7rGimMFapE0kU7yQ5UMU-3D">Current Emergency Incidents. CalFire</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.dqeiNMb-2BNKuBLN2Of6-2FCWX0BG5TOneCdy7vFHTBgWEuL6dt384O6mVABOlIbtJEdlaG\_\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp67SSYuBqgeZyGoQLfWa5gd8ZF4j1yiYHRA8trXHLZfyo7oZJofoQ6VQ9XAQbOnHjUzAnPxf7gX2kxFw-2FWMhl-2BCoFEvWUAzDSJFBFznuDo-2F4sPbAmQ83fpIkyPrUr4eF6giluYWMe45SGu2qAFtzQben3ke7R01UnYfTlQx0iWxHEia9r-2FP1JHahfMgRu8G0Ndg9YLwM7i4d9-2FVGced3oz40-3D">Los Angeles County website</a> allows people to search specific addresses within the Eaton and Palisades fire areas to see if they've been damaged or destroyed. The Mutual Aid of Los Angeles Network, founded to help coordinate donations and services to those in need, has put together <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIkzYwcw-2BuE9mTTHRXz-2Fyjwhjks7MQZ50UeFx7OSvyR8Ny-2FC8gaIIQHBvveDq58cnNa7vdETTW5uBqVT65i29-2BRS0msxfOEdBEhFGW8PbMBk4OnW2Oj7-2BWeQ3EY6mdo3xJ52CuEkj65Yjf-2Bd57m1o-2BQ-3D6A\_1\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmY7ZdlWoTjI1k8Qynt2ij7MVc2a4uySRTbNU2vfV3dk6xpgkSelfeiWDUDQspUkp69E120aNg3ezLQ96Zmu0kBsGbdtDHEbkkdgikxTrKTOJLNpKfk0rVuFqGwMhE-2FRSAQ1baP0IgQBN9USHQxDmO-2BRHkmfFzVAfwHtArv-2FGI1wn85GmAuhyNAeW4yWW0smNrEFC9Ixq6SRZJgqUG-2BwN7-2ByE9YtvJimDP6VjQHfG8kAx4k-2Fj-2FdHlNo0qYBsy4AlAj-2Bhn8JsrP9vNxuK1bTtSg94-3D">a list of groups offering help to those affected by the fires</a>. Check with your local church or denomination for ways to support relief efforts through your family of faith. Prayer Creator of wind, water, earth and fire, have mercy on all those in danger today. Help those fighting to save lives by decreasing wind gusts and increasing water supplies where they are most needed. For all those displaced and hurting, bring comfort, courage, hope and assurance of your loving presence. Guide us to find ways to support our neighbors in their distress. Amen. Copyright 2024 Communication Resources <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user\_id=14323725&data=\_9xrorZ42oBRF0QDn8zIhaUPcNKFBzdQgWYhulVtwChoMDAwdTAwMKnqx918EzleR8oPArNYYIOekdpGYSvP1lrb83qfxtrSzYJDskuL0j5EpK5HzE8TnlJAeT8mGCHQPjncnku3Ug7ttzmveKmvi5TwY3ZERC20XsE-HReUV72BWdUqpgWKFSMk9TY2ST2jGsLTxsj17p\_asOYczDgkE4dAi-g5gnoWLqrA5P81DrUs3iuEoO\_EJPLMZk-S9e5O\_GAeQdgZC6PcPR-UHLTo\_aKZtWEcoB\_XUYt3bG4cFHqS7HYeSFO8-wtTARHvNS-ho7WVQljILnriL6CKtnt9iM2rrofa7UNh2llGK1IGX8y8PSjurj6SWJ2rQVoJggtS08n6XS9dTzAtSX0f4tqKozgVfmlyjZ6pwD4LIW4vNsU6eeFRprg-EywdS\_UY0imaLiZ\_nF\_Ej96XDpdokAMoFAYBY1Fk4lGNgb1RxA9h1K\_YF\_CATBX2rQ2iExcqjgdfxUp24Xcoh\_4xglLiS56LSKfsf1RdDj6DDJ2924pxHwDA9GVpnXMzUKo4t6RuY4ny32zPnhSCMafOp8jLSWSQtT2bNfiHEpKJD-UaG3ytKdvtLOkmtp4-IumESHclZQpIm0ZsOppZZVk=">Unsubscribe From This List</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/wf/open?upn=u001.ri3TO7QGEXgsxcVdo6-2BoAGTuuWiDEfH5lVjP7AVQ-2Bcl7JaDKdeJ1ydQkXpTFAEqRD2SOncm40jgMuVls37ZLseTP-2Bc5kaLjFJf1Q3kw4FZdt1YoCkYWvLa1l-2BT-2F-2F8yIUiLbFHrmn64p2Xwmffzl3edR6Ty8TRKnThBIufHec6MYr94WZQxWVvMWvfNqNZdVSm2JpSP2sJuJ7h3Z8Ne0G7hjYGEST1f-2FINxsO7O3eQlGZlFSHGaDNKnON3h63pFWzvOGHr-2Bj-2BhXHpkVQ98H3SDDidbBHDCfOOXUvpyCZORZ5S59V7mjwBJCWDLvyeg9A2uEJkLSqY1Er0OfoaLQbXplPYj1GYZU88qGGZm1rG3RHIaNMKsTueZ1Om0VqoonAU9ghU61o52xb5tzapAEDnU3beLAT8zWaZlUas4MHR7yw1-2FUY68SwL1Srman3ZlWNWQxE-2BRKxM6UBQSQ8szDrYWSBLHJGOIfahekGWMqnkKys-3D" style="height:1px !important;width:1px !important;border-width:0 !important;margin-top:0 !important;margin-bottom:0 !important;margin-right:0 !important;margin-left:0 !important;padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-right:0 !important;padding-left:0 !important;" width="1"/> </div>, The Wired Word for 01/19/2025, The Wired Word, 01jhr62rak6ah9wjkg77zwsjta.