Joel's Jottings: "The Word on Water"
Water is necessary for life. Too little water and life shrivels up. Too much water and life is overcome. In Jackson we are struggling with these problems: too much water from rain and not enough water to drink.
The immediate crisis was from flooding that shut down the water supply. That crisis is being addressed. But the underlying issue of providing safe and clean water for the city and nearby residents has not gone away. Donation and distribution of water has been ramped up for so many people who have needed it for so long. We will continue to need water donations for quite a while.
I’ve been contacted by friends and family from near and far about the crisis. Two former pastors of Fondren Presbyterian Church have contacted us over the past week to offer their support. The Rev. Jim White sent words of encouragement and prayer:
We have been following the national news very closely about the dire situation over too much water and yet nowhere near enough that confronts so many of you. I sure wish I had a magic wand, but I don’t. But we have prayer and the support of former Fondren folks who would like to be able to move heaven and earth for you and for the hundreds of thousands of others in similar shape.
The Rev. Rob Lowry’s church in Little Rock, as well as several others there, organized a water collection. They have donated more than 1,200 gallons of water to the relief efforts going on through Working Together Jackson.
There are many water donation programs. Some are simply people responding to the needs by buying water and giving it away. I’ve heard that some Meals on Wheels volunteers have done this recently. Other efforts are highly centralized. The Mississippi Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters (VOAD) is coordinating these efforts through state and federal emergency management agencies and the state health agency. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) of our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), has provided a $7,500 grant to the Presbytery of Mississippi to assist in this response.
Pray for all of these efforts that people who are thirsty may find what they need. Respond as you are led to meet this need. Contact me at pastor@fondrenpcusa.com or (601) 982-3232 to sort out options.
These efforts are truly a blessing to the city. They will be needed until the water system works well enough to provide clean and safe water for the city. In the meantime,
pray for all these efforts so that water may be provided and thirst quenched;
pray for the city, state, and federal leaders that judicious and just acts will flow from their decisions;
pray for the employees of all of the agencies and nonprofits responding to this current crisis that they may have the strength and courage to face the situation each day; and
pray for yourself that in this moment you will find your way of being Jesus' disciple.