It came without notice. There was no rain in Nairobi that evening. In a flash, in a moment, it was upon them. A flash flood came roaring through the Mathare Valley slum. Just a hundred yards from the Bible School. Within minutes, the otherwise sleepy “river” rose from the normal 3 feet to a devastating 10 feet.
Virtually all slums are in valleys. Runoff and rainwater from miles around can suddenly descend upon any slums in a deluge, wreaking instant havoc and homelessness. For that very reason, the cheapest rents in a slum are at the water’s edge. That’s the only place Pastor Hezekiel could afford to live.
“Hatar! Hatari! Kimbia!!”
Neighbors began screaming in the midnight darkness: “Danger! Get out!!” From a deep sleep, Hezekiel sprang to instant full attention. Out of shear instinct, he sat up and reached for his bedside machete. As he looked towards the door, he saw water rushing into his one-room shack. He raced to the door. His two teenage sons instantly joined him. What they saw struck fear in their hearts. A wall of water rushing down the river, just outside their doors. Hezekiel’s eyes met those of his next- door neighbor. She raced back inside to salvage the most valuable things. She was never seen again.
“To the roof!!” Hezekiel shouted to the boys. The young men jumped on the bed and viciously rammed a hole through the rusted sheet metal roof. Hezekiel was the last one out. Thank God his wife and youngest son were upcountry. They clambered onto the unsteady roof, which was held up by mere branches. It was never intended to hold ANY weight. Hezekiel cried aloud to God…
“Save us Almighty God! Save us!!”
Within two minutes, the shack was filled with 7 feet of water. Nearly to the rooftop! The mud and wattle plastered walls began disintegrating under them! They could hear the crashing of their neighbors’ shacks and the horrific screams of drowning, dying souls. All manner of household items, possessions and people were being swept passed them as they watched in utter shock and horror.
Their lives were turned upside down…in the twinkling of an eye.
Hours later, I arrived at the Mathare Bible School at sunrise. I had no idea of the disaster that had been thrust upon the community. Word began to get out. Half news, half rumors, half helpful, all disturbing. “The reservoir had broken!” “No one has come to help!” “Scores are missing…presumed dead.” “There is nothing to do now, it’s too late.” We sent a team of pastors down to the river, just a hundred yards away. They came back traumatized.
“It’s a disaster!!…there was no warning!! …there is no rescue to be done. It’s only a search for bodies.”
It’s times like these that reveal what is inside a person. And if you don’t have Jesus, you have no fighting chance to survive the aftermath. I have no idea how people navigate through life without God. Because even with Him, life on this fallen earth is incredibly difficult. Just because we are Christians, does not mean that God will spare us of the trials and tribulations of life. He was infinitely clear...
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
There was nothing we could do to assist the community. It was in chaos. And chaos can be exceedingly dangerous. We were Prepared to assist materially, but it would have to come after the chaos and confusion. We would bide our time. Waiting upon the Lord’s confirmation on when, where and how God might have us assist. We did not need to wait long.
“Pastor Hezekiel is from the valley. He lost everything.”
I could scarcely believe what I heard…and saw. There he was, sitting in class. As if nothing had happened. He had said nothing to anyone. He was dressed like a proper pastor on a Sunday morning. No outward manifestation of the horror he had survived just hours ago. Bearing only the marks and demeanor of a man…who had been Prepared. In Advance. Inwardly. Eternally.
We’ve all heard the admonition and advisory: “You can’t take it with you!” And yet we live like we can. We plan, we save, we store up, we Prepare…in very physical, financial and material ways. And there is merit and biblical basis to do so. Within measure. But beyond that realm of biblical stewardship and practical responsibility, we often neglect the only Preparedness that will matter in the end: Spiritually.
Think of the hours, the effort, the concentration, the emphasis we put on Temporal Preparedness. And then I think of Pastor Hezekiel. His entire physical, material life fit in a 10x10 shack (along with his wife and 3 boys). He was not Prepared to lose those precious few things in a moment. Or was he?
“Then Jesus spoke a parable… ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your Soul will be required of you…”
It’s not enough to casually think we can Prepare both Temporally and Spiritually. As if there can be a simultaneous and equivalent pursuit of both. There cannot. One will have Priority. One will garner ascendent attention, consume more of my time, and weigh heavier on my heart. One will be Preeminent. The question is: which One is it? Not in my imagination, not in my theology, not in my rhetoric. But in Reality. We might do well to ask the question of ourselves…and invite the Holy Spirit to comment as well.
I went home to my efficiency apartment in Nairobi that evening. I don’t have one room. I have three. By my standards, it’s much like a college dorm. A tiny bedroom, a tiny “office” area, and common area with cooking space. And I soberly thought…
“What would be my measure
…if I was thrust out in a Moment
…in the Twinkling of an eye
…without one single Material thing in hand
…and brought before the Judgment seat of God?
…and I came up Lacking.
