God’s Will Be

And just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.

Dwight raised his head and looked around.

Everything was broken and splintered as far as the eye could see.

Tufts of insulation hung in the still air like so much snow.

The church had vanished, the bare foundation and its few reaching fingers of twisted rebar the only reminder of what had been.

But no, that wasn’t all.

The altar stood, the Cross of Gold and Miraculous Praying Hands undisturbed.

Even Deacon Rodd’s Holy Bible sat atop it, turned to the very page Deacon had been reading when it hit.

Friday Fictioneers

17 comments

Add Yours
  1. Na'ama Yehuda

    A friend of mine lives in Tornado Alley. One year the houses on both sides of theirs were totally demolished while his house remained untouched. Down to the flower pots on his front stoop. They found a kitten, unharmed, between the flower pot and door.
    They named him “Toto.”
    :)
    Na’ama

  2. Nobbinmaug

    Though my first thought is Jesus being frustrated with the money changers in the temple kind of scenario or a wrath against the profiteering of religion, one could read this as everybody got Raptured to Oz except Dwight. I love the name Deacon Rodd.

    Given the picture, I can’t help but imagine the church as a tent revival in tornado country.

  3. bearmkwa

    Great story… and surprisingly enough I’ve seen this happen on more than one occasion. Church destroyed, altar and bible untouched… home burned down while bedside table with bible completely untouched and a small square of floor under untouched while the entire room otherwise gutted (happened in my Foster home). Weird, but true.

Don't just stand there.