Salem tornado damage
The morning is bright and slightly cool. The sun will warm us as we head out, and soon we will be simply hot. But again, it is worth it.
Yesterday’s ride held a tense excitement. We were all eager to ride and yet we knew by day’s end we would be exhausted, sore in places you did not know existed, and sun burned despite repeated latherings of sun screen. Also, we knew we were riding through the areas hit by an F3 tornado but not sure what that was like.
It was like a disaster zone… mobile homes lay completely flipped over and crushed. Pieces of metal from a roof draped from a pine tree. Clothes and snapped timber, once the structure and contents of a home, littered the landscape. There was nothing in order here. And everything out of order represented a mother, father, grandmother, children and pets who are part of the family fabric. Every displaced item has a story. We stopped at the disaster headquarters to check in and talk with the Red Cross and EMA volunteers. Due to the weekdays, they had not had the volunteer base as of yet but were looking to Saturday.
So we thought, we prayed, and it made what we are riding for take on meaning. In a few short days, we may be the volunteers going to help. Some of those families will ones that we can help in the future. And we are grateful to be the body of Christ at that moment.
As we embark today on our way to Selma we will remember. Today’s ride is called the Freedom Rider’s Century. We will start in Tuskegee and make our way through Montgomery and end in Selma for the day. Montgomery was recently voted the most historic city in the nation. It is home of one of the Civil Rights Museum. Today Tuskegee is celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the George Washington Carver festival. GWC is a legacy figure to all of us known for his work with peanuts and several facets of agriculture. When we cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, we will recall those who risked and gave their lives for equality, the right to vote, and the right to be treated with dignity and fairness. Injustice still exists today and as the body of Christ, our banner cry is to come alongside with love and grace that only Christ could give.
We are eager to ride and thank you for your gifts and grace!