Last week’s massive snow storm hit the Outer Banks like a Super Bowl linebacker on cocaine. Upwards of 12 inches of snow were dumped during hurricane force winds, leaving homes without heat, power, internet, or even a way to get out of the driveway. Down in Buxton, four more beach houses fell into the ocean due to incredible storm surges and flooding. This makes twenty houses claimed by the sea since September. Highway 12 and the northern part of Ocracoke were closed. It was an Armageddon in real time, serving up challenge after challenge to our frail barrier islands. And the challenges remain, as we are a beach area with minimal snow removal equipment.

Outer Bankers are hearty people who are used to storms, and it was inspiring to see the community reaching out to support one another. An older couple in my church went without heat for hours. Once that was posted on Facebook, another family in the church quickly opened their home to the couple and their cat. Immediately, another church member offered transportation with their four-wheel drive vehicle. The local Stack ‘Em High Pancakes and More restaurant delivered hot meals to the Dominion Power workers who risked life and limb to restore power to the blacked out neighborhoods. The owner of the restaurant risked life and limb to deliver the food during the worst of the storm. Churches quickly pivoted to online worship services. The fire station where I serve as a volunteer chaplain was staffed overnight by volunteers who sheltered in the bunk room so that they could immediately respond to emergencies. Suddenly all of our political differences and arguments fell by the wayside, and we became one united community. Why, oh why, does it take a disaster for us to come to our senses?

Paul was no stranger to a community divided.

1 Corinthians 1 (The Message)

¹⁰ I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.

Paul had to deal with divisions and arguments in the church at Corinth. People had taken sides and claimed that their conversions were superior to other people’s conversions based on who it was who had converted them. In other words, they had fallen into personality cults and thought their leader was so worthy of their loyalty and worship that they then had the right to look down on anyone who didn’t follow the same person.

Sound familiar?

Paul stepped in and urged them to drop their faux followings and follow only Jesus, the Master. He demanded that they learn to be considerate of one another. He required them to cultivate a life in common, much like we do when disaster hits and we reach out to a neighbor.

The people of the Outer Banks set a beautiful example of selfless community response during this recent weather event. That’s what we do and who we are.

Now if only we could all learn to do this without the storm.

Stormy Weather by Kristine Kiousis