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Ginghamsburg Senior Pastor Rachel Billups with Fort McKinley Campus Pastor Jeremiah Lewis

Special guest blog by Sarah Rossetter, MD, a practicing physician who is currently working on her first book. Sarah lives in the greater Dayton area with her husband and children.

Monday night, my husband and I ripped our three sleeping babies from their beds and sprinted downstairs to the most interior room in our basement. The phones in our pockets screamed warnings to take cover immediately, and tornado sirens blared outside. We laid our children on the couch against the basement wall and then positioned ourselves where we could see through the windows of our walk-out area. Lightning blazed across the night sky every few moments in a strobe-light fashion. Thunder claps shook our home to its foundation over and over again as my dearest love and I quietly discussed the manner in which we planned to spread our bodies over our sleeping children should the support structures above us begin to give way.

While we were hunkered down, updates continuously rolled onto the screens of our phones detailing multiple tornado touch-downs and widespread destruction in the little towns around us. Panic clawed at my throat as I read that entire sections of the town where my parents live were being described as simply “gone.” My heart rate quickened and my chest tightened when multiple calls to my parents’ cell phones went unanswered.“Please, Jesus,” I prayed. “Oh, God, please.”

After what was probably mere moments but of course seemed like so much longer, multiple texts from them both rolled in all at once letting me know they were safe in their basement and that my brother and his family were also safe at their own house. Everyone was scared, but we were all alive. There was nothing left to do but wait it out. A few hours later when the tornado warnings were lifted and it was safe to put our children back in their beds, my husband and I stood on the balcony of our home and watched a flash flood rush over the railroad tracks and meet the creek at the base of the hill where we live. Dark, foreboding flood waters filled the valley in an impressive continuation of nature’s mighty show of power.

The light of day brought many stories of terror and survival as well as drone footage of truly shocking destruction in the greater Dayton, Ohio area. Friends of mine tweeted that they saw snow plows being used to clear debris from I-75 in the early daylight hours. Accuweather reported the completed destruction of an area church (***1). I saw school closings posted to social media due to lack of power in some cases and lack of rooftops in others. I heard that overnight a friend of mine huddled in the bathroom of her one-level home with her two small children while covered with a mattress as her home took a direct hit and the back patio was ripped clean off. That friend’s neighbor’s roof was torn completely away. As I write this, storm survey teams are out surveying the damage and determining for sure the exact number of tornadoes that occurred and where; but one thing is for certain: we are all lucky to be alive.

This was the second storm to hit Dayton this weekend, although the first one was of a different nature. A few days prior to the worst natural disaster to hit us in years, the Gem City endured the winds of hate as they blew through. A group affiliated with the most notorious hate group in this country (who will not be named here so as not to lend any notoriety whatsoever to it) obtained a permit and fought off multiple lawsuits against that permit in order to hold a rally in downtown Dayton to spread their agenda (***2). I’m here to tell you, though, that I’m not even sure what exactly that agenda was because the people of Dayton showed up to weather that storm like a collective boss.

First, a little background information. The city that I love, live near and work in has many struggles that it faces every day. According to the US Welfare Department, roughly one in every three residents of our city lives in poverty (***3). If that weren’t enough, there were race riots in Dayton in the 1960’s and parts of the city are still feeling the effects of those today (***4)  Furthermore, in a study a few years ago, Dayton ranked 15th on a list of the most segregated cities in the United States (***5). The Great Miami River divides more than just geographical areas in our city; I say this to our shame.

Back to this past weekend. This group showed up with faces covered and firearms visible in open-carry. The city of Dayton spent around $650,000 to hire in a ton of extra police presence and to set up other safety mechanisms (***6). City officials did everything they could to keep the rally from ever happening, but when they couldn’t, they sent out messages on social media asking Dayton residents to stay out of downtown for the duration (***7). The people of Dayton who wanted to stand against the rally were faced with three options: stay home in silent protest, show up to actively protest, or gather at multiple other events throughout the city that savvy churches and other organizations set up to celebrate diversity and to divert attention and media coverage away from the rally. No one choice was more right than any of the others; it was personal preference, and everyone played their part beautifully.

Nine people showed up to hold the rally, and ten supporters showed up. Read that again, if you will. Now take this in: five to six hundred people showed up to protest the rally’s message, countless hundreds gathered elsewhere in the city at events designed to be all-inclusive in protest, and untold thousands stayed out of downtown and spent their time just living their lives in peace. The protests of the rally were so loud and effective that the message broadcasted at the actual rally was completely drowned out. No one could hear it, even piped through loudspeakers. The rally participants retained freedom of speech as is their right, but Dayton answered with its own freedom of speech manifested as freedom to sing hymns and freedom to play the tuba. No really, someone brought and played a tuba because sometimes you have to think a little outside the box (***6).

We as a city have a long way to go, but it is clear to see that we are on our way. The same people who contrived and executed a plan to keep “Hatin’ out of Dayton,” a popular sign among protesters at the rally, are the same ones who showed capability and neighborly concern during the tornadoes that followed a day later. They are the same ones who were hunkered down in basements and bathtubs, asking God to protect their parents and their babies. They are the single mother I know who walked away from an abusive relationship a few years ago and who walked away from a demolished home last night, holding her children by the hand. They are the people who are rushing toward rather than away from the devastated areas of the city to offer help and hope. They are the ones who flooded social media with well-checks on friends and family in and around the greater Dayton area even while they themselves were still in the path of the storm. It gives me goosebumps because it is humanity at its finest, and I’ve got a front row seat.

There is an incredible picture that someone took this past weekend at an event that was organized to compete with the rally of my pastor throwing her head back and laughing at something someone said that day. She is admittedly a generous laughter, but if you are truly funny then you might also get a hand clap from Pastor Rachel as she cracks up. The picture captures her hands mid-clap, a true depiction of mirth and a heart bursting with love for all people. I look at that picture and think, now there’s a leader I want to follow. We are the people who see inherent value in all human beings. We are the people who throw our heads back and laugh even when evil is trying to invade our city or when our material possessions are decimated. We are the people who are trying to learn more about how to love our neighbors and heal from our past. We are Dayton.

So how can we and our cities move forward to better weather all types of storms? I don’t have the answer, but I’m willing to step out and further the conversation because it is important. The ideas that rise to the top for me are preparedness, concern for others and generosity.

Preparedness – It is essential for us to look ahead and get ready as appropriate. Can you imagine what would have happened in either of the situations above if the people of my city had not bothered to prepare? So many more people would have been killed or injured in the tornados if they had not decided to get out of bed and take cover. The sirens can be activated and the phone warnings can sound off, but if we don’t get up and do what we need to do, our apathy can kill us. The same is true regarding how the city prepared for the absolute worst prior to the rally. I can think of hundreds of things that our city could have done with the money that was spent, but I am relieved to my core that there was no violence and credit that nearly entirely to the city and its occupants being prepared.

Concern for others – The images from the tornadoes are sobering. There are so many without electricity or a place to live right now. However, for every image I’ve seen and every article I’ve read detailing the devastation, I’ve also seen posts of neighbors checking in with neighbors and offering help. No one seems to care about anyone’s skin color, religion, or political affiliations right now but instead are just focused on making sure that their neighbors are alive and have their basic needs covered.

Generosity – The online city and parenting groups that I am a part of and my social media accounts are clogged right now with offers to help financially or physically. No one is asking if their donations to relief organizations are going to go to people of a certain color or belief system. What a stupid thing to care about anytime, but especially in light of the fact that we all could have easily died last night! Dayton is learning to love all of her neighbors, and it is a beauty to behold.

So, what is next? Well, for Dayton it is going to be donations and clean-up efforts. After all, the way things get done is with money and manpower. If you were hiding in your basement or bath tub last night but did not sustain any bodily or property damage, I challenge you to find a way to introduce $5 or more into the relief efforts for your neighbors who were not as fortunate as you were. If you are reading this and had the privilege of sleeping in a bed all night without the threat of death looming overhead, I challenge you to introduce $10 or more into the relief efforts. These are small sums to part with individually but when put together I promise you it will be enough. I’ve included a link to an article detailing reputable relief agencies below for your convenience. If you’d rather give directly, find someone who is hurting and give to them directly. There are no rules when it comes to having an open hand. Personally, I’ve asked an area pastor to hand pick a family for my own family to sponsor. Finally if you or your property sustained damage last night, then take a deep breath, place your hand on your beating heart to remind yourself of what is most important and try to relax because we’ve got you.

I think that we could look back in a few years and see this past weekend as the one where we found our voice, joined our hearts and hands, and drove the Gem City into a future that abhors racial inequity and stands together when tragedy strikes. May it be so.

Click here to help Dayton.

1 Duff, Renee, and Ashley Williams. “At Least 1 Killed after Large, Destructive Overnight Tornado Strikes Dayton, Nearby Ohio Communities.” At Least 1 Killed after Large, Destructive Overnight Tornado Strikes Dayton, Nearby Ohio Communities, 28 May 2019, www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/large-destructive-tornado-strikes-dayton-as-severe-storms-ravage-ohio/70008380.

2 Frolik, Cornelius. “Dayton Sues KKK-Affiliated Group Ahead of Downtown Rally.” Daytondailynews, Staff Writer, 13 Mar. 2019, www.daytondailynews.com/news/breaking-news/dayton-sues-kkk-affiliated-group-ahead-downtown-rally/qAR987YK2FFEp5Yz65Gn5M/.

3 “Poverty in Dayton, Ohio.” 32.7% Poverty Rate in Dayton, Ohio, 2017 ACS 5 Year, 2017, www.welfareinfo.org/poverty-rate/ohio/dayton.

4 Sweigart, Josh. “Lasting Scars: the 1966 Dayton Riot, and West Dayton Today.” Daytondailynews, Staff Writer, 15 Sept. 2016, www.daytondailynews.com/news/lasting-scars-the-1966-dayton-riot-and-west-dayton-today/fROse29JYZcC9roAMSpqfK/.

5 Sauter, Mike. “24/7 Wall St.” 247 Wall St RSS, 12 Jan. 2018, 247wallst.com/special-report/2018/01/12/16-most-segregated-cities-in-america-2/print/.

6 Stewart, Chris, and Cornelius Frolik. “KKK Rally Ends as Group Leaves Courthouse Square.” KKK Rally Ends as Group Leaves Courthouse Square, 25 May 2019, www.whio.com/news/local/today-kkk-rally-disrupt-services-test-dayton-unity-campaign/rbhb874czMR8DnxU1t2HXP/.

7 Frolik, Cornelius. “Dayton Mayor Asks Public to Stay out of Downtown during KKK Rally.” Daytondailynews, Staff Writer, 22 May 2019, www.daytondailynews.com/news/breaking-news/dayton-mayor-asks-public-stay-out-downtown-during-kkk-rally/fcEaLHQbFgXhnHNmgy0CMM/.

Mike Slaughter, pastor emeritus and global church ambassador for Ginghamsburg Church, served for nearly four decades as the lead pastor and chief dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike is also the founder and chief strategist of Passionate Churches, LLC, which specializes in developing pastors, church staff and church lay leaders through coaching, training, consulting and facilitation services. Mike’s call to “afflict the comfortable” challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. Mike’s latest book Revolutionary Kingdom: following the Rebel Jesus to be released in August is available for preorder (Abingdon Press).