Bring Your Oil?
Finding strength through His parable amidst life's tragedies
Living in Kansas, severe storms and tornados are commonplace. But this year, I felt much more conscious of their presence and destruction.
Earlier this spring, several storms blew through Tornado Alley, decimating towns, tearing not only boards and homes apart, but the livelihoods of many who were impacted.
A Heartbreaking Story from Sulphur
One story in particular has continued to strike deep in my heart involving people I've never met.
In late April, a Tornado Watch was issued across several states—extending from Nebraska, through Kansas, all the way down to Oklahoma and Texas. Throughout the night, I periodically checked the weather radar app on my phone as I worked on other things and kept an eye on the headlines.
On that particular night, Oklahoma was scattered with Tornado Warnings issued by the National Weather Service as a supercell storm tore through the state. Online, storm chasers and local news outlets were racing to follow, taking video footage of large tornados. Some were wrapped in rain, some in debris, and some in both.
That was when I started seeing headlines and posts about Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Shortly after 11 P.M., in a pitch-black night, the residents of that small town found themselves in the eye of that supercell. Weather radar footage showed the brightest red and purple points right on top of the city name pin that you’d find on any digital map.
Tornado Warning after Tornado Warning slammed the town—with almost five at one time. As more news stories poured through, one particular article horrified me: a four-month-old baby was missing and, tragically, later found dead.
As a father of a young child myself, I could not begin to imagine the grief that family must have been feeling. And it struck me deeply, and my heart cried out. But my immediate reaction was, “How?”
Reflections on Human Fragility
How could one lose their baby?
Could someone have been sleeping, surprised to find a tornado on top of them by the time it was too late to react? Could the tornado have horrifically torn the child from their loved one’s arms?
Speaking from immense privilege, of course, I’ve never been in the eye of a supercell storm and a tornado rated at an EF-3 out of 5. I know nothing of the personal details of that night, and I pray deeply for that family.
But that story stuck in my mind, giving me cause to reflect deeply about the fragility of our humanity and how the nature of our world can lead to anyone’s life changing in a split second.
Car accidents, sudden illnesses, unforeseen tragedies—they can all strike with very little warning.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
One of Jesus’s parables came to me: The 10 virgins and the lampstands.
In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells the story of ten virgins who took their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise and brought extra oil, while five were foolish and brought none. When the bridegroom arrived unexpectedly, only the wise ones were prepared, and the foolish ones found themselves left out in the dark, scrambling to find oil too late.
This parable teaches us the importance of being prepared, of living with a readiness for the unexpected. Just as those in Sulphur, Oklahoma, faced a sudden and devastating tornado, we too can be caught off guard by the storms of life.
Keeping Our Lamps Filled
The story of the ten virgins reminds us to keep our lamps filled, to stay vigilant and prepared spiritually, emotionally, and practically. It urges us to live with a sense of readiness, ensuring that our faith, our relationships, and our lives are in order.
Because while we may not know when the storms of life will hit, we can choose to be prepared for whatever comes our way.
In the face of such tragedies, we are reminded of the fragility of life and the importance of being prepared. While we cannot predict every storm, we can choose to live each day with purpose and readiness, keeping our lamps filled with the oil of faith, hope, and love.
“…you do not know not the day, nor the hour.”
We don’t fully understand the mysteries of God’s plan for our lives. Just as the disciples struggled to comprehend when Jesus foretold them about his passion, we too can be confused or frustrated by the trials we face.
I truly believe that little baby is in the arms of Jesus right now, in His eternal embrace in Heaven. We can find immense comfort and confidence in knowing that by living our lives in accordance with His will, we can join Him, regardless of what happens in our lives on Earth.
But we must have oil for our lamps when that time comes—whether it’s at the parousia or the end of our own lives.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,
Josh