No. of Recommendations: 1
Rather than request an emergency declaration, Tennessee governor Bill Lee proclaimed September 27 a “voluntary Day of Prayer and Fasting.”
I'm not going to completely dismiss prayer and fasting. In my tradition, prayer and fasting is part of the preparation for action - getting yourself mentally and spiritually ready for the work that is coming. Its not something you do instead of working, it is just one part of preparing for work. That preparation also includes the practical parts, such as organization and logistics needed to do the work effectively.
I'm also humble enough to know that there are other ways of preparing yourself mentally for difficult work that may be coming. There is no one right way to get prepared. There are many ways that people have found to prepare themselves for difficult work. Likewise, there are many potential ways to prepare the physical items needed for a disaster response. The key in my mind is to make sure you are covering all aspects of a disaster response, both physical and emotional.
I don't have a problem with calling for a day of fasting and prayer. Better yet, make it a bit more inclusive by suggesting other practices - perhaps meditation or simply time alone or with a small group to think about those who will be experiencing the brunt of the storm. And don't forget other preparations. Tennessee looks like it was always on the edge of the storm at worst, so places in the western half of the state could be good staging areas for a response to the east and south. Nashville has three interstates going through it, with easy access to Montgomery and Birmingham in Alabama, Atlanta, and west into North Carolina - all places likely to be affected. Supplies and workers staged there could get to multiple places fairly quickly, depending on where the assistance was needed.
--Peter
