Author: Christy Smith
Many years ago, I heard a climate scientist say that “global warming” was too sweet, too gentle, too pleasant a term to be used to discuss the calamity already affecting the Earth. He lifted up, as an example, the horrendous experience of the water-soaked country of Bangladesh, surrounded by rivers, where many then had to wade through flood waters nearly year-round to get to a well where fresh water was available…and where schools were being built on barges so that students would be able to attend school when the flood waters rose.
(Please note, as an aside, that Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, sent the United States $1 million after Hurricane Katrina as a gesture of love and support. But that’s another story.)
“No,” he said. “There’s nothing peaceful or slow about this. We must call it what it is: ‘catastrophic climate disruption.’”
That resonated with me because I was already working as a disaster consultant for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and that humanitarian agency of The United Methodist Church was perpetually in reactive mode, responding to disasters after they happened with funds, training, mentoring, and support.
Of course, UMCOR had curriculum in place to train local churches on how to be prepared as a people, a church, and a force within a community. That curriculum helped churches understand how best to offer ministry when a disaster happens, both within the church building and to the wider community, networking to provide recovery resources to impacted survivors.
Please remember never to use the word “victim” except in the instance of loss of life. “Victims” stay victims; “survivors” gain the strength to step into recovery.
Now, UMCOR is becoming more proactive, much more involved in mitigation, helping conferences strategize on ways to build resilience and prevent the worst of the effects of disaster.
It has been my honor to walk alongside the Tennessee Conference of The United Methodist Church since the tornado struck Nashville in March of 2020. Our response agency, Disaster Recovery Connection, is still at work with tornado survivors…and survivors of the March 2021 Nashville/Davidson County flood…and the survivors of the Waverly (Humphreys County) flood of August 2021. And the new Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference is hoping to move boldly into the recovery in Mayfield, Kentucky, and other portions of the conference to support survivors of the December 2021 tornado event. Funding will be key.
All this is happening here…now…though few United Methodists in the conference are aware.
Catastrophic climate disruption is exactly what we are experiencing now in Tennessee and elsewhere. Though many Americans ignored the facts or thought we could pollute with impunity and not feel the impact, major floods, extremes in temperatures, increased-intensity storms, and massive wildfires are upon us.
What I have seen are families who couldn’t afford homeowner’s insurance…and ones who didn’t know that they needed flood insurance (you do, too!), who are unable to figure out a way forward. Already fragile and living at the edge of their means, they are decimated by these harsh natural events. (Most people would be too.)
What I am also seeing is the love of God, provided by the generosity of givers of both time and funds. Lives are changed. Hope is renewed. The message God’s beloveds receive is that someone cares.
When you hear a believer say, “I knew God would send someone,” you understand that someone is you…whether you’re a giver, a prayer, or an active responder.
Natural disasters are worsening. That fact is clear. Churches—not just the church’s agency (UMCOR)—need to decide how to respond and be proactive in their preparedness. That call is clear too.
Christy Tate Smith met God in the midst of disaster. Her response was to get to work. Her 20-year career in the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has included overseeing case management, coordinating volunteers, helping plan disaster preparation and response, providing training through the agency and several annual conferences, and walking alongside survivors journeying to recovery.
“Disaster has pain at its center, but around the edges are healing and blessing when survivors and responders partner in recovery,” Christy says. “I have learned so much about God from those who face disaster recovery with dignity and courage. Disaster recovery allows us to truly be the healing presence of God for those who are suffering.”