6 Aug, 2007
The dead among the living?
Workers look for dead in bridge collapse
Divers probed murky Mississippi river waters Friday in search of bodies in the rubble of a collapsed highway bridge as the number of people believed missing dropped dramatically.
Swimming almost blindly through the submerged wreckage of fractured roadbed, twisted bridge supports and mangled vehicles, divers faced fierce currents and chunks of floating concrete as they spotted several bodies underwater but did not retrieve any of them.
But officials offered more hopeful news when they announced that only eight people were considered missing in the tragedy, besides the five already confirmed dead.
That was a sharp downward revision from the 20-30 officials had earlier believed went missing when the eight-lane span fractured and plunged into the river below at the height of rush hour Wednesday.
"Those eight people -- and it's a very fluid number -- I hope they're just mistakes, that they're vacationing or something," said Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek, who was leading the underwater recovery efforts.
The body of one man was extracted Thursday night from a car trapped on the pieces of the bridge that was partially submerged, bringing the official death toll to five. Around 80 people were injured.
"There's no sense of frustration. If I had my way I wouldn't find anyone in the water," Stanek said about the divers not having retrieved any more bodies.
photo & story courtesy turkishpress.com, 8/3/07
Luke 24:4-6 (NLT)
4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee,
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the impact of Jesus being alive today?
Let's look at some insight from the study notes in Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE:
24:1-9 The two angels (appearing as "two men...clothed in dazzling robes") asked the women why they were looking in a tomb for someone who was alive. Often we run into people who are looking for God among the dead. They study the Bible as a mere historical document and go to church as if going to a memorial service. But Jesus is not among the dead - he lives! He reigns in the hearts of Christians, and he is the head of his church. Do you look for Jesus among the living? Do you expect him to be active in the world and in the church? Look for signs of his power - they are all around you.
There are many interesting, heart-breaking, and inspiring stories related to the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis last week.
It's so sad to watch the divers look for the bodies of the dead in the river. I can't imagine the pain for the families and friends of those killed. They are waiting for the physical evidence of an inevitable reality - their loved ones are gone and will not be returning.
It's also sad that those of us who are Christ followers often live our daily lives as if we have no hope. We approach life's challenges and opportunities as if Jesus were still dead and his body entombed.
The tragic result is that our perspective is usually in the "recovery" mode rather than experiencing daily "rescue" from our Living, Resurrected Christ.
We are Christ's loved ones and He is living in us and He will be returning!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Remember that the truth of Christ's resurrection is for everyday living, not just at Easter time.
- Take several minutes right now and talk to the Risen One about your needs and questions that are easy to identify. Let His Spirit help you uncover those that are buried in the corner of your soul. Listen to God's heart and you will experience His love and hope.
- Read the whole chapter of Luke 24 and let the incredible power of the story of Christ's resurrection impact your daily story.
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Every day, let Jesus show you someone who is living life "among the dead". Let Jesus empower you to see the little ways you can demonstrate "the Living among the dead" in your life. It might be giving this person a smile, an encouraging word, an act of kindness, five minutes of listening, telling him or her an example of how Jesus rescues you constantly, praying for him or her....
- Whenever you see a news story of workers trying to recover the bodies of the dead, let Jesus remind you to pray for those you know who are not yet alive in Christ.
- Pray for comfort for the families and friends of those affected by the bridge collapse and pray for God to use this national story to draw people to His love and truth.
- Send this DAILYBIDE to another follower of Christ.
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