Rising Together: A Call to Love and Lift
As floodwaters surged over the banks of the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025, the force of nature laid bare both the fragility and the resilience of human life. In just under an hour, the river rose more than 26 feet, swallowing trees, homes, and dreams along its path. Among the hardest hit was Camp Mystic, a beloved summer camp for girls, where joy and laughter were replaced in an instant by panic, heartbreak, and unimaginable loss. More than 100 lives, children and adults alike, were lost in the flooding, with dozens still missing.
In the face of this tragedy, however, a different current has begun to rise, a current of compassion, courage, and communal care. Rescue workers braved debris-filled waters and unbearable heat, risking their own lives to save others. Helicopters hovered, boats launched, and trained dogs searched tirelessly. Over 850 people have been rescued so far, not by isolated acts of heroism, but by a network of neighbors, first responders, and volunteers who refused to let despair have the final word.
And amidst the ruin, something holy has emerged.
In Kerrville, Comfort, Hunt, and neighboring communities, people are showing up for one another not as political opponents or strangers, but as beloved children of God. The walls that often divide us, race, class, ideology, have fallen away in the flood’s wake, revealing a deeper truth: that we belong to each other. That when disaster strikes, we are not Republican or Democrat, rich or poor, urban or rural, we are simply human, bound by a sacred call to love one another.
This is the love of Jesus made visible. Not in grand speeches, but in water and supplies delivered to shelters. In neighbors opening their doors. In muddy hands pulling neighbors from danger. In silent prayers whispered over ruined homes and broken hearts. It is the gospel in motion, carried not just in word, but in waterlogged boots and tear-streaked faces.
Christ’s call to love knows no boundaries. To "weep with those who weep" is not a passive act; it is an invitation to walk alongside, to enter into the suffering of others, and to help bear the load. The waters may be receding, but the need for love, support, and prayer is only beginning.
Now is the time to rise together, not only to meet the needs of the moment, but to recommit ourselves to the kind of world we long to build. A world stitched together not by fear, but by fierce compassion. A world where our shared humanity matters more than our opinions. A world where we remember that we are woven together in God’s image, and when one part suffers, we all are called to respond.
How you can help:
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Donate to trusted organizations such as the Episcopal Relief & Development Fund, where your gift becomes food, shelter, medicine, and hope.
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Support local nonprofits and faith communities already walking with survivors on the ground.
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Pray for those who grieve, for those still missing, and for the slow and holy work of rebuilding.
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Bear witness—share the stories, lift the voices, and keep the memory of this flood from fading too quickly.
As followers of Jesus, we are not called to fix everything alone, but we are called to show up, to give what we can, and to believe in the power of resurrection even amid ruin.
Let us rise together, one prayer, one gift, one act of love at a time.