Tag Archives: Alabama tornado

Prayers, please, for tornado victims

The tornado that tore through southern Alabama the other day tells us once again about nature’s unspeakable strength and wrath.

At last count, 23 people have died as a result of the massive twister that leveled the area near Opelika, Ala. Ten of them came from the same extended family. How does one cope with such loss? You do so through faith and, of course, with help from your government and your neighbors.

The first couple went to the region late this past week to see first hand what nature had brought to the region. The president hugged some folks and pledged the government’s full support as they start to rebuild after the tragedy.

I don’t quite know what to say with this blog post except to offer emotional support. We chide public officials for offering “love and prayers” after gun violence. We demand more than just platitudes.

Mother Nature’s violence, though, leaves us feeling helpless. There really is little we can do to fight back against the unspeakable power of forces such as, oh, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes or lightning-ignited wildfire.

Thus, we are left just to offer “love and prayers” for the souls we have lost and for those who survive and who must struggle to rebuild their shattered lives.

I am doing so here. Right now. May we all keep our fellow Americans in our hearts as they fight back.

POTUS autographing Bibles? Oh, sure . . . you bet!

I held out a glimmer of hope that Donald Trump would travel this week to Alabama to tour tornado damage, throw his arms around victims, tell them he loves them and not do anything peculiar.

That was not to be.

The man with the least amount of understanding and familiarity with the contents of the Holy Bible of any president of the United States autographed copies of the Good Book for those who waited in line to receive his signature.

Social media exploded over that one!

The spectacle — while not nearly as weird as the paper towel-throwing stunt he performed in Puerto Rico in 2017 — did seem, um, peculiar.

Normally, one autographs books they have written.  Donald Trump appears to have utterly zero understanding of what the Bible instructs those of us who follow the teachings of the prophets and, oh yes, of Jesus Christ himself.

As the Huffington Post reports:

It was an unusual move. Typically, people autograph books they’ve written. 

The Bibles may have been the closest things on hand for Trump to sign during his visit. Volunteers had their own, and Bibles were also being distributed at the Providence Baptist Church in Opelika along with clothing and other goods, according to The Associated Press.

The community has mobilized in the wake of the EF-4 tornado that struck rural Beauregard last Sunday and killed 23. It was the deadliest tornado in the nation since 2013.

Trump perked up the church crowd, which cheered when he autographed the cover of a 12-year-old boy’s Bible. The president and Melania Trump together signed the cover of 10-year-old girl’s Bible decorated with pink camouflage. One woman at the church called Trump’s visit a “godsend,” according to pool reports.

The Post notes that religious scholars are split. They say past presidents, such as George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, have signed Bibles. Others call it an act that borders on “sacrilege.”

I don’t know. It just seemed to my way of thinking a bit . . . bizarre.

Those who were gathered at the Opelika, Ala., church were happy to receive the autograph. They’re hurting and perhaps were looking for any token of comfort they could get from the president.

I’ll leave this issue with one of the Twitter responses: “When a man embodies all 7 deadly sins — lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride — is signing Bibles it means it is time to re-evaluate your religion.” 

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