Camp Mystic, those devastating videos and the role of faith during disasters

USA Today

2 days ago

Pink bedding drenched in mud. Stuffed animals meant for homesickness abandoned.
Photos and videos of Camp Mystic after the central Texas camp was caught in a deadly deluge over the weekend are going viral. At least 27 children and counselors died after the nearby Guadalupe River became a mass torrent of water that surged over 26 feet in less than an hour on Friday.
As some campers from the 99-year-old nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls evacuated, they sang the words "I want my world to know/the Lord of love/has come to me/I want to pass it on" to stay calm. As the girls sang, waves crashed where water shouldn't flow, tumbling through broken roads and structures turned inside-out.
The haunting video has gained over 700,000 views and thousands of comments, with many reactions embracing something fundamental to Camp Mystic: prayer.
"I'm not a 'religious' person but I'm extremely moved by these young ladies' faith and strength," said one comment. Others remarked on the song as a symbol of resilience and even-keeled stillness amid a terrible event.
These reactions are an important reminder of how religion can helps some people through difficult times, even for those who aren't normally spiritual, according to Mary Beth Werdel, associate professor of counseling at Fordham University. Research links religion is to positive outcomes after disasters, as engaging in faith helps people make sense of what's just happened.
"Prayer as a coping mechanism is really useful," said Werdel, who researches how religion leads us through stress and trauma. "Especially when other forms of coping are not available."
For people who have seemingly lost everything in a near-biblical flood, reaching for hymn or prayer is an active medium for healing when other mechanisms, like therapy, aren't easily accessible, Werdel said.
"Singing is a ritual," she said. "Religion in many ways gives people a roadmap to follow, structure to follow, in a time when stress and trauma make things very chaotic."
'Religion doesn't erase sadness'
The wide-ranging reactions online are an important reminder that everyone processes trauma differently. Not everyone finds peace through prayer right now. Some reacted to the scene at Camp Mystic by calling out flood warnings that came too late to save lives and decrying local climate change preparedness policies.
But it's not about choosing one versus the other, Werdel said. "We can be hopeful and moved by people's collective experience. And it can also be true that things can happen systemically ... religion's not going to stop the floodwaters."
She added singing can be powerful, but some may find themselves asking, "What type of God would allow this to happen?"
"Allow that question to stay with us," Werdel said. "Try not to find an answer right away ... It's OK to now have an answer."
Werdel recommends working through questions like those with a counselor or therapist. "Religion doesn't erase sadness [or loss]," she added. "But it can give you hope that loss isn't the final reality."
Prayer at the center of a community
Lorynn Divita's 17-year-old daughter was working as a food service worker at another camp about 50 miles away from Camp Mystic. Her daughter happened to have a day off when the flooding occurred and was off-site in an unaffected area. But Divita prayed following the realization it could have been her child.
Faith is the connective tissue for the area's summer camps, said Divita, an associate professor at Baylor University. These camps give kids opportunities to immerse themselves in nature and explore the tougher, unpredictable parts of life, she said. Parents often send their kids to these camps in the hope they will find the same joy and growth they did.
"This whole experience has taught us that we are not truly in control," she said. Prayer has helped, she added.
"While it doesn't answer the question of 'why,' the community fostered by [these camps] and the togetherness they have at least gives the solace of knowing they are not alone in feeling the feelings they have and confronting the trauma they've experienced," Divita said. "They are part of a community that cares for them and that is larger than themselves."
How to match prayers with action
The high number of prayer responses reflects how many people right now are moved by the losses at Camp Mystic and elsewhere in the flood zone, said Jamie Aten, executive director of Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College. He says these expressions of prayer online are well-meaning, but people can also take those intentions into their real lives.
"I would also encourage that in addition to prayer, we look at best practices for how to take action," Aten said. This can mean finding trusted nonprofits and other groups to give our money and time to through donations and volunteering (here's how to help victims in Texas right now).
"There's something so truly powerful about just showing up," said Aten, a Hurricane Katrina survivor. "Know that your presence means more than any words you could ever say."
Think about what you can do right outside your door, Aten recommended. If you're moved to pray, try also to take this moment to reach out to a friend who has had a recent loss, for example.
How to cope with trauma after a natural disaster
While research shows Americans have been moving away from religion in recent years, for areas like central Texas, events like these can show the best examples experiencing love and loss with community, said Werdel.
But it's important to acknowledge faith, spirituality and coping is different for everyone. And faith isn't a fit for all people experiencing trauma, said Werdel.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers some other strategies for coping with natural disasters: