This is a beautiful time of the year here in Tryon on almost any day. The air is crisp, the humidity is down, and the leaves are beginning to turn. The sunsets are brilliant. For many of us these days bring to mind the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

It’s easy to sense God’s presence in a sunset, but where is God in the hurricane? Or a storm like we experienced last Sunday here in Tryon? Or tragedies like the shooting in Las Vegas? Or earthquakes in Mexico? Or the suffering of those who have lost loved ones, or have to endure chronic illness anywhere? For many people in our world, nature is a frightening experience, and God’s grace but a faint hope.

Mary and I have family living on St Croix. And we have children and grandchildren who live in Florida. And friends in Texas. They’ve all experienced the ravages of hurricanes this year. We’ve been able to talk with our family on St. Croix on a couple of occasions when they were able to climb to the top of a hill and get what they called a “bar and a half” of cell phone service. They report a dire situation: not a leaf on a tree anywhere, no electricity and weeks until power might be restored, water very scarce, and gasoline, too.

“We’ll get through,” my brother-in-law said. “It’s going to be hard, but we’ll do it.” Despite the hardships, he said, they are safe. And the beauty of the islands is that they don’t really need heat or air conditioning. As he put it, “Every day, except those rare days when hurricanes show up, is 80 degrees and sunny.” Many were not so fortunate. 

But what about the lessons of these terrible storms? It is true that hurricanes remind us that we are not in charge, as my brother-in-law put it. And it is also true that God does help bring nature back to life after a storm. But where is God in the hurricane? And how do we get through the storms of life?

I decided to turn to an expert for an answer these knotty questions. I consulted Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, actually a Presbyterian minister. Mister Rogers used to tell the children who listened to his show, “If you are scared, really scared, look for ‘the helpers.’ And you will always find people who are helping.” And I think that’s true.

Think about the stories coming out of Texas, and Louisiana, and Florida, and the Caribbean Islands and Puerto Rico: the heroism of volunteers and first responders. The unplanned acts of kindness and the sacrificial acts of caring. Neighbors helping neighbors. Strangers carrying people to safety. People overcoming prejudice to help each other.

God is there in those acts of kindness. Mister Rogers actually hinted at much the same thing when he told the children on his program to “look for the helpers.” But actually, Fred Rogers was hinting at a much bigger truth of our faith: that Christ comes to us thorough the loving acts of other people. Jesus suggested the same truth in the Parable of the Good Samaritan and other stories.

St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spanish Carmelite Christian nun, said it even more clearly: “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on his world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world. Christ has no body now but yours.”

In a world that is bruised and battered, and filled with all kinds of suffering and tragedy, we have a big responsibility as followers of Jesus. It is also a huge opportunity. We can help show the love of Christ, no matter how poor or wealthy we may be, no matter how faithful or unfaithful we may be, no matter who or where we are, no matter what our politics. And when we help, we proclaim the love of Christ, even if we are not strong believers.

It is amazing to me that even a horrific, tragic storm can somehow mirror the grace and mercy of God. It is amazing that God’s grace and mercy can be felt even in suffering and illness, grief and loss. But rarely does that simply happen. Mostly it depends on you and me, and what we say and what we do.

We have the opportunity to help others every day. But it’s not easy. Help, real help, takes humility. It takes compassion. It takes courage. But we can do it.

As the Apostle Paul says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). And Lord knows, there’s a lot to do. So let’s get on with it. It may be a cliché, but it’s also true: “Show a little love.”

Pastor Dent Davis, Tryon Presbyterian Church