Sometimes a traumatic event happens to a whole community or region at once. In recent years my family has been through Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and now, Harvey. I was visiting Montecito, CA, and evacuated before the mudslides. I’ve made two visits each to Joplin, MO, and Moore, OK both of which were struck by devastating tornadoes.
My friend in Joplin, a pastor, said a year after their tornado strike, “None of my people has done anything in the past twelve months except respond and react to the tornado.”
Sudden loss of life and widespread destruction of property can shake the sturdiest of souls. After the news cameras and the emergency volunteers leave and life begins to settle into the post-traumatic new normal, there is still a need for organized communal reflection on all that has transpired. Once things have calmed down, my team and I can help your community, tell their stories, listen to each other and appreciate their resiliency. Life’s purpose, God’s presence in human suffering, the meaning of death and afterlife, all of these deserve to be part of a community’s rebuilding.
We can design processes to help children and families make sense of what they have been through. The first anniversary of a communal trauma is a natural time to engage in this healing work.