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NORTH CENTRAL OHIO — on February 3rd a Norfolk-Southern train with one hundred-fifty rail cars caught on fire and continued for twenty miles before crashing in the eastern Ohio community of East Palestine. Approximately twenty rail car tankers carrying hazardous chemicals were involved in the derailment.
A “controlled release” led to the explosion of these deadly chemicals into the air, water, and soil. The total impact on human health on immediate and surrounding areas remains unseen. As the world is watching this tragedy unfold, a group of clergy from various denominations across the state responded with a prayer proclamation and call to action.
“As lead clergymen representing one hundred-fifteen congregations across Ohio, we believe the Heavenly Father can heal the land,” said Pastor Dave Rentzel. “We also believe Norfolk Southern Railway has a moral obligation to clean up to the best of its abilities the derailment site and surrounding areas adversely impacted by the hazardous chemical release.”
Pastor Christopher Thomas added, “We are calling people of faith to pray for the welfare of the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, for an ecological turnaround, and for the donation of relief supplies to the community and region. May GOD vindicate them; as our state motto declares, “With GOD, all things are possible.”
Approximately one million pounds of vinyl chloride, a flammable chemical linked to brain, liver, lung, and blood cancers, and three other hazardous chemicals were initially reported in the rail car tankers when twenty of the derailed rail car tankers were set on fire. Shockingly, after telling residents to return to their homes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the presence of three additional chemicals in the rail cars, including the carcinogenic ethylhexyl acrylate.
While local residents are still experiencing eyes and throats that burn, these citizens are requesting independent testing agencies to test their homes. However, only a private contractor hired by a Norfolk Southern Railroad Company has been appointed to test households, and testing on the condition homeowners waive their right to litigation against Norfolk Southern. Skeptics of the cleanup are quick to point out this same testing contractor paid by the railroad company found air quality samples in the area of the train derailment and nearby residential neighborhoods ‘consistently showing readings at safe levels for contaminants of concern.’ Believers also have another take on the tragedy.
“The Bible is very practical and specific about the stewardship of land. It instructs individual persons and communities to corporately pray to the Heavenly Father, to publicly repent from sin, to pay full restitution to aggrieved parties, and to make every effort to bring reconciliation.”
Pastor Dan Barker
According to Pastor Dan Barker, whose church is forty miles from ground zero, “The Bible is very practical and specific about the stewardship of land. It instructs individual persons and communities to corporately pray to the Heavenly Father, to publicly repent from sin, to pay full restitution to aggrieved parties, and to make every effort to bring reconciliation.”
All three clergy agree that the Bible addresses ecological miracles, describing supernatural accounts where Moses turned bitter waters sweet (Exodus 15), where Elisha healed a spring of water so that no more death came from it (2 Kings 21), and where Jesus took five loaves and two fish to feed the thousands.
The clergy prayer proclamation also described examples of GOD’s track record for healing the land that bring hope.
“Contemporary examples of healing the land include villages in the Fiji Islands during the 2000’s where on or around the same time repentance from idolatry, and reconciliation among different clans occurred, robust yields of mango and papaya were experienced, a resurgence of fragile coral reefs was confirmed by scientists despite failing reef health globally, and a tributary near the village of Nuku on the island of Viti Levu affiliated for decades with blindness and infertility from arsenic instantly became potable,” the clergy wrote.
“Moreover. when clergy publicly repented and began combating drug addiction and corruption in the 2000’s, not only did Manchester, Kentucky experience a social political renewal, the local community’s quantum leap also included an ecological turnaround where the water supply rebounded, the area became home of the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River, and biologists claimed the area had simultaneously become more hospitable to deer, turkey, fish, and even black bear after a century-long absence.”
Faith leaders hope redemption can come to areas adversely impacted by the explosion in East Palestine. Clergy co-signers of the proclamation are from thirteen counties throughout Ohio including Richland (74), Ashland (8), Crawford (7), Morrow (5), Trumbull (5), Huron (4), Wayne (4), Knox (2), Stark (2), Licking (1), Lorain (1), Mahoning (1) & Warren (1). Clergy in Richland County have scheduled a shipment of emergency relief supplies to leave for East Palestine on Sunday, March 12th.
The Bottom Line:
The Bible says in Second Chronicles, “If My people, which are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Click to view video produced by CBN News on ecological turnaround and revival in Manchester, Kentucky. (5 min. length)
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