Worth the Risk?

“Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31, NASB.

I was on the island of Nias with my teenage son doing survey work when the 2005 earthquake hit. We were out in the open when the ground shook violently. No one in our party was hurt. Many buildings on the island fell flat crushing the people inside. After the initial search and rescue window passed the police and military were unable to help all the families with body recovery. We decided that body recovery was how God could use us to minister to the people.

At one building we found a man and woman in hysterics. Their son was buried under the rubble of what had once been a three story shop house. The building had obviously fallen straight down in the earthquake. The roof was still intact. You could literally stretch on your tippy-toes and touch the top of the roof!

We started digging in the rubble to see if we could recover the body. The couple was grateful for our help. As we dug tremors shook the ground. The realization that falling rubble during an after shock might bury us along with the body made us question the wisdom of our quest, but we pressed on with the work. The family brought us water and food.

The closer we got to the body the stronger the smell became. Many flies buzzed around us. The boy was about the age of my son. He had been sitting at a computer desk when the earthquake hit. One of the columns from the building had pounded him like a hammer hitting a nail. His body was squashed like an aluminum can. His entire remains fit into a bag no bigger than a hat box.

A wail came from the boy’s parents as the body was carried out of the rubble. We gathered around them and prayed in the name of Jesus, the only one who can bring comfort in such a time of mourning and salvation even in the wake of death.

Was it worth the risk to return this boy’s body to his parents? I looked at them and thought about how I’d feel if it had been my son. I would have felt hopeless, like no one cared, and no one was there to help. God allowed us to be there so they would know that they are not alone, and someone does care.

It was Sunday when we recovered the body, so we asked for permission to have a service to worship God. The couple gave permission and joined us in giving glory to God amidst our tears. We all knew that we stood on holy ground. It was definitely worth the risk.

Pray that:

In the midst of disaster God’s children will bring Him glory by the love they show.

People who are comforted by God’s people in time of disaster will find and cling to God’s salvation.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.