As communities grapple with what officials are calling “one of the deadliest aviation disasters” in recent U.S. history, religious leaders in Kansas and the Washington DC region have stepped forward to provide spiritual comfort to grieving families and first responders.
Both cities were quick to hold prayer vigils with pastors staffing response teams at the respective airports.
In Wichita, where the ill-fated Flight 5342 originated, Pastor Ben Staley of Chapel Hill Church was among the first clergy members to reach Eisenhower National Airport after news of the crash broke.
“As you can imagine when we all started watching the news, we were all just stunned,” Staley told Fox News Friday morning, describing the scene at the airport where families gathered in anxious vigil. “I met with a father whose daughter was on the plane. You can imagine everyone there waiting in stunned silence.”
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
Drawing on “Psalm 34:18” which states “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit,” religious leaders across multiple denominations went into high gear, Thursday, and mobilized to support affected communities.
READ: Kansans among crash victims
In the nation’s capital, where the passenger jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, Washington DC Archbishop Cardinal Wilton Gregory said Thursday that members “throughout the Archdiocese of Washington today join men and women of goodwill here and around the world in praying for those who perished” as well as “for their grieving families and loved ones.”
“We praise God for the generous assistance of our courageous first responders,” the archbishop said. “May this disaster serve as an impetus to strengthen our unity and collaboration.”
The response knows no denominational lines. Rev. Pamela Hughes Mason is acting president of the Greater Wichita Ministerial League. She and others led a community vigil at the City Hall, emphasizing unity saying it is “the only way we will get through this is together.” She told those gathered that the impact “stretches beyond our community.”
Pastor Staley emphasized the ripple effect of the tragedy throughout the community. “All of us are going to know people”, he said, urging residents to “double down on caring for each other, upholding each other, holding each other up in prayer and support.”
Search and recovery efforts continue in the Potomac River, where 67 people are presumed dead following the collision. American Airlines has established support services for families, while religious institutions across affected cities continue to hold prayer services and vigils.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice News