Tornado

By now many of you have heard about the tornado that came through Oklahoma City/Moore a few hours ago. First, let me say that my family and I, the Credo House, and all who work for us are safe.

Dan Wallace has been in town all weekend shooting the video for our new Credo Course. What an introduction to Oklahoma Dan has enjoyed! Yesterday, one tornado went right over his hotel, landing about 1/2 mile away. Dan took pictures of all the damage after I picked him up for dinner last night. My family and I were in our “tornado closet” waiting for it to get to us, but it passed about two miles away. That one did much damage, but there was no loss of life. However, that was not the story today.

While we were filming today, as interesting as Dan’s presentations were, students could not help but keep an eye on their phones, watching the path of the upcoming storm. One by one, students began leaving, fearing for the safety of their families. It was not long before we decided to call it a day, close the Credo House, and get Dan to the airport. Dan and I jumped in my Camaro. This is one of the few times that Dan and I decided it would be best to have the top up! I sped to try to beat the storm, but that was not to be, even with 330hp. We were about five miles away when we realized we were driving into darkness. I called my dad and asked him if there were any tornadoes. He said there were not, but he would keep me informed. It was not three minutes later when he called back and said there was a large one approaching I44. “Where on I44?” I panicked (and for an Oklahoman to panic about a tornado is something to take note of). The tornado was about two or three miles ahead, in the direction we were heading. But I kept on for a bit. Finally I realized that we were in the storm, and if I kept going we might be in the middle of it any second. I finally slowed down significantly and waited for it to pass over the highway. Dan was amazingly calm. He just had his video camera out filming everything. He arrived safely at the airport, but I may have to go pick him up in a bit.

The tornado we barely missed is the tornado that  ripped through south OKC/Moore area. The path it traveled is the same path that the infamous (even for here) 1999 tornado took. The last one took over thirty lives. It remains to be seen how many this one will take. There is utter destruction, unlike anything I have ever seen. It has been reported that this one is actually worse than the 1999 tornado. I would not be surprised. I have already seen cars on buildings, neighborhoods leveled to the ground, elementary schools gone, and a woman impaled with debris. It is almost impossible to watch. Our community here in Oklahoma is in shock. Not only did this happen again, but it happened in the same place.

I will save the religious commentary for another time. God is good. He never promised anything in this fallen and sin-stained world. It is times like these that makes so many of us yearn for the coming kingdom. “Kingdom now” stuff does not work. You know . . . all that theology about things getting better and better or the reality of Christ’s reign right now. With creation groaning the way it is here in Oklahoma, that stuff just does not work. Not here in Oklahoma. Not today.