It has been a week since Surrender, and while so much has happened since then, I have wanted to really sit and process some of what I listened to over the weekend. If anything, there are two main things that I have come away with. The first is the Church and indigenous Australians. This would have to be the most complex and yet thought provoking issue that I have come away with. The second issue, while complex, would have to be our expectation of evangelism and social justice. This came up with Bart Campolo, but I believe was echoed in talks by Jarrod McKenna,Rudo Kwaramba and Claudio Oliver. I plan to post on both these issues in the coming week.
Over the weekend, I was helping with the audio and video, and was walking back to the auditorium from one of the marquees set up around the grounds when we first heard loud cracks in the bush around. The sound first confused myself and the guy I was walking with, that is, until a couple of pieces of hail hit the ground nearby. Then, it was like a switch had been thrown and the hail started to pelt down, growing in size as the temperature dropped. My companion ran back to the marquee and I told shelter under a large tree.
A couple of the first hail to hit nearby.
I took a couple more pics but then the hail started to fall through the canopy of the tree and hit me on the shoulder and head. The size of the hail by this stage was well over the tennis-ball size and not smooth but jagged and spikey — often a mass of smaller hail balls fused together. I ended up pocketing my iPhone and hugging the tree in an effort to stay out of the hail which was pelting me from above and below as the hail bounced high once it hit the ground!
Hail starting to fall heavier and cover the ground.
Blurred as I was getting hit while taking the pic!
The tree I hit under, later the next day!
Slowly the hail subsided and as the rain started I ran to the auditorium through the hail and rain, crossing what was fast becoming a river of mud and water flowing from the top of the road to the overflowing drain besides the auditorium. Wrenching the door open, I ram inside as a flood of water followed me into the building. The rain fell for at least an hour and the onslaught flooded much of the drainage.
The aftermath was that while no-one was seriously hurt, there were a few scratches and bruises. I had a large lump on my head from being hit and my left shoulder had two huge red welts that have developed into deep and painful bruises! Overall, considering that we had a couple of hundred people there and many were in tents camping and marquees for workshops we were very blessed that no one was hurt, and that the tents etc all survived.
Some of the most obvious damage.
Our cars however, were not as lucky. There were a few cars that had windscreens and windows smashed through, but nearly all had severe hail damage. My car was one that suffered both hail damage on 90% of the panels and a cracked windscreen. I have heard since that many cars have been written off or folk have opted to just have the windscreens replaced and the panel damage ignored. I’ll know this Friday when I see the RACV assessors.
Hard to see, but the windscreen has some awesome cracks from getting hit where the rubber meets the glass.
The passenger side was harder hit, most of the damage occurred on this side.
The bonnet and roof have the worst damage.
So, that was the natural disaster that struct Melbourne and caused flooding and damage to the city and many homes across Melbourne. There were jokes that it was sent due to the preaching of so and so and that locusts would fall next, but overall the hail served to remind us of how vulnerable we are and that many folk who may have experienced the hail and storm may not have been as lucky.
That was Saturday, the second day of Surrender. The rest of the weekend was quiet on the storm front but amazing and powerful on the topics and people front. I hope to post more on the two issues as I digest them.
Shalom!
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