Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

Wes Fowler talks with church members just days after a tornado devastated their hometown.
the gym would provide a safer haven. They chose the
tunnel. It was a life-saving decision; the gym was pummeled
by the storm, its roof pulled off like the top of a
tin can.
At 9:27, the tornado hit.
“I could hear it coming and it grew louder and louder,”
he said. “There was a vacuum in the tunnel in a moment.
The ceiling tiles began to pop up and down. The pressure
changed. The lights went out, which made it a little scarier,
and the kids were screaming and crying. We got into
a section on the floor.
“My wife got on top of my daughter, and I got on top of
my two sons. Kody and Heather were on top of their family,
so there for a few moments we were laying on top of
our families as debris and dirt filled up the room. It was a
terrible, loud sound. It lasted 30 seconds to a minute, but
it felt like five minutes.”
Wes and Kody emerged from the tunnel. What they
saw was incomprehensible.
“I never dreamed the church was damaged like it was,”
Fowler said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I came
back up and looked outside into Mayfield for the first
time. I had my flashlight, it was still raining, and I’m
looking around, and it was the most disorienting thing. I
thought something was wrong with me. I was confused.
I couldn’t see any buildings. I couldn’t see buildings I’ve
seen my whole life.
“This glass shop here (next door to the church) where
we know the owner and where we buy our windows: I
couldn’t see it. I could see our church bus. It had been
inside a big garage, but the garage wasn’t there anymore.
The bus was smashed. It was disorienting, a bit confusing.
Then it started to sink in: It’s all gone.”
summer 2022
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