Dorsal Fins & Prayer Meetings

Although Friday wore me out, I got up early Saturday morning to go back to Orange Beach before setting out on the next steps of our prayer journey. The picture that I saw was no better than the afternoon before. The rain the night before had failed to wash away either the oil or its stench from the beach. Wave after wave of oil still washed ashore.

Furthermore, there was now dead wildlife to be found on the shore. First, a blue-clawed crab; dead with oil on its body.

Next, hundreds of dead, little minnows. These were scattered across the shoreline.

Third, a hermit crab which lay lifeless on the sand.

Signs of other, potential casualties surrounded me. Sadly, more minnows swam on the shores edge. Perhaps it was just a matter of time before they joined the others on the shore. Other fish could be seen jumping out of the water just offshore. Dolphins swam in these same oiled waters not far out.

Also, I watched as sharks – which must have been at least five feet long – fed on fish who likely had ingested the oil themselves. The unbelievable thing about this was that they hunted these fish literally 15 feet of the shore. We have been reading how another impact of the spill has been to drive sea creatures closer and closer to shore to avoid the oil. Alas, there was nowhere else to run.

After this we headed over to Pensacola Beach, FL to meet with an incredible young lady named Stacy. This encounter was certainly one that had been planned by God. You see, when we set out on the trip we were still waiting to hear back about several possibilities of people to connect with in this area. Stacy was not one of them. On the flight out to New Orleans I started talking with the woman sitting next to me. It turns out that she works right across the street from Westmont college where I did my undergraduate work. Not only that but her niece is also a Westmont alum. As I was telling her about the trip and where I would be headed, she mentioned offhandedly that her niece lived in Pensacola and that she might be interested in what we were doing. After the flight I gave this woman my card, but did not expect much to come of it from the niece’s end. Well, on Thursday night I got a call from her niece, Stacy, asking what we were doing. I told her about the trip so far and suggested we meet up and pray together.

So, we headed down to Pensacola Beach and met up with Stacy. It was surprising how just a few more miles down the coast the situation was again changed. The water was blue and clear. Apparently some tar balls had come ashore but were already cleaned up. When we were there people were swimming and enjoying the beach, albeit in decreased numbers.

There on the beach we enjoyed a wonderful time of prayer. It is so amazing how we have this common bond as Christians where we can come together in prayer with someone we did not even know moments earlier. Not only did we spend time praying but we were able to share stories about caring for God’s creation and humane consumption. Ben and I had a great time and were blessed by this encounter.

After our time with Stacy, we continued on down the Florida coast to the beautiful St George Island. St George Island is a small island surrounded by incredible eco-diversity. Though it has not yet been hit with the oil, fear abounds. Even if the oil does not reach the shore, the island may still be deeply affected economically.

On the island the pastors of the Methodist and Baptist churches on the island had arranged a prayer and praise meeting for Saturday. We set up on the beach just past their spectacular lighthouse. The meeting was late in the evening so we were blessed by great, cool weather. A variety of leaders took part in the event. Both Ben and myself were able to participate in reading scripture, sharing brief messages, and praying. This was a powerful time with upwards of 70 people (estimates have reached as high as 100) gathered together on this small island to pray for this situation. A few thoughts rang out during the course of the evening:

• God is in control
• God is with us
• We must humble ourselves and pray.

As waves crashed, birds soared overhead, and the sun descended we proclaimed that the God who had created these incredible things was sovereign over this situation. It was so amazing to see these wonderful people stand together and declare their trust in the Lord. Ben and I were blessed to have been able to participate in something so great as this. While the day had begun rough, facing the challenges of the spill up close and personal, it finished as a time of comfort and hope.

{UPDATE: Apparently Pensacola has now had a new round of oil wash ashore. Let us pray that this too can be cleaned up quickly and completely.} 

More on our prayer journey:

In Shock

“I’ve Got Tears In My Eyes”

Decontamination, Frustration, & Oration

Choppers, Marinas, & Shelters

Let the Prayers Flow

Praying Confidently in the Midst of Disaster

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