Colossians 1:13–14
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Scripture Insights
In April 1995, I was working in Oklahoma City on the day the Alfred P. Murrah building was bombed. In an instant, a large office building was cratered on one
side, and 168 souls lost their lives. The blast radius spread out for blocks, and the smoke rose quickly.
I was in my car, so I headed down to see how I might be able to help. I got there ten minutes after the bomb went off, and I wasn’t allowed to get close. Looking through the fragments, I found what turned out to be the motor cylinder head and the transmission of the vehicle that was used to detonate the building, which had been flung far from the blast.
What struck me most was the fact that there may still be survivors under that rubble, under the weight of tons of debris. We must do something! I thought.
The whole city responded within hours, in hopes of finding signs of life. I saw that day a picture of what the church can and should be to a weary world caught under the weight of life.
Today’s Prayer
Father, you have placed us here as heirs of a kingdom of light. May we never forget to do the work of digging out those trapped by life’s darkness. Give us the grace to see those who just need a little more help.
—Brett Rickey
CotN District Superintendent, Oregon Pacific
