Community Issue - 2023 - Car Accidents

TO THE CHURCHES:  MINERAL; HAMPSHIRE; ALLEGANY; HARDY; GRANT & GARRETT

"In wrath remember mercy"  Habakkuk 3:2
"Help us, O Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men."  Psalm 12:1

This past Sunday in our prayer concerns, I reiterated what I have been hearing and seeing for the last months, a rise in car accidents and fatalities.  Car accidents and death have been a constant in our community and across the nation all of our lives.  But it is to pay attention and discern, 'what's going on?' when those numbers increase drastically.  It is not unusual for us to hear or read of a single fatality, once every 6 months or once a year.  But to have a constant monthly report of 'another tragedy' and 'tragic death' in our small area, is unprecedented.  What is going on?  

In our focus of concern, our churches minister to the surrounding 6 counties of close proximity:  Mineral, Hampshire, Allegany, Hardy, Grant and Garrett.  We have connections with work, family, friends, and other churches aligned with us, that make it our concern when we hear and see such results.  I pastor in 2 of these 6 counties.  As these reports over the weeks and months of this summer have continued, I continued to share this tragic headline with the prayer concerns in both of my churches.  And remarking to my fellow pastors in our community that pray with me, of this happening.  We are to be discerners of the times.  "And when you see these things happening. . . "  meaning you are aware of the happenings and seek an answer to why.

So earlier this week, I began to pursue to find out if I was correct by the stats.  I called the MD state police and they sent me to the helpful central records division, who gave me a map and up to date chart with all of this info.  What was reported of 2023 fatalities via cars?   In Garrett, so far 2 deaths; in Allegany county, 7.  In WV, state police were not helpful.  But I already know of at least 6 in WV.  Total of over 15; an average of at least 2 per month so far this year,   I have no accurate stats to confirm for WV, but our community already knows, it has been an awful year of tragedy.  Just this last week, we had the awful news of the 7 yr old death.  And on that same day, in Hampshire county, 2 more died.  All of these people and roads, I know very well.  The death of the 20 yr old, just last month on 93; a young man that sat at my home table, when we hosted the boys for meals and devotions that played sports with my boys.  Earlier last month the 30(s) year old that died on Route 135, 6 miles from my house.  And the friend of my son, who died on Route 46, back in April.  All of these are near and real, in our small area.  

Why present all this? why bring all this up?  Because of the Scripture, 'when you see these things happening, that are unusual and a spike in occurrences. . ." Joel 1 & 2, we as the church are to seek the Lord.  We are to cry out for His help and mercy.  We take for granted too often safety and life.  But it is such tragedies, and the escalation of such death, that makes us seek Him more for His Divine grace and mercy.  And the church it the keepers of the cities, and the homes, and the highways and byways that we are travelling.  It is the churches responsibility to cry out to God to preserve and spare.  Christians, churches, are you being faithful at being gate keepers for our community and counties??  It is not designated to the 1 or 2, prayer warriors; but it is to the whole body of  Christ.  

It is the awfulness of life, that we become content and forgetful of God's mercies and blessings.  But a tragedy, a difficulty, shatters this conformity, and we realize how much we need God.   Always after a crisis, you hear and read the posts and statements, "Pray for . . . "  and there is nothing wrong with this, it is needful to pray for such.  But I have learned and repeat often, 'isn't it better to pray before the tragedy and cry out to God to help, protect, deliver and bless?"  Rather than losing life and then seeking Him.  Better to seek Him before, for we never know what the next hour, day or week will bring.   Walk closely to Him, and learn of Him, and serve Him and fear Him; for He is worthy.  

There is so far in 2023, an unusual happening of death in our surrounding 6 counties, and I set this simply before the body of Christ for their response.  Let us seek the Lord for help.  Let us cry out to God for Him to remove this constant reports of death and dying.  Let us pray for those mourning and have lost; and pray with empathy.  Apathy, is that which we don't care.  They say, "We didn't know them, no concern of mine."  Empathy is, 'just as if it was mine own.'  Pray one for another!

Until,
Dan Biser