Hebrews 12:18-29

I’m a survivor. Yes, I’ve survived several earthquakes, although none of them have been massive. The largest quake we ever experienced was the Northridge Quake in 1994, but it was centered miles away from our apartment in Rancho Cucamonga. That quake started with a jolt and then a rumble. The moment it struck I didn’t know its intensity or its epicenter, but I knew it wasn’t a train going by the complex. So I jumped out of bed, grabbed Brett, and headed for the door jam. The quake didn't last long, just a mater of seconds, but it rattled my nerves, and it was a while before we got back to sleep. We later learned that it was a 6.7 earthquake that, wreaked havoc on the Los Angeles basin. It led to the deaths of 17 people, injured scores more, and took down important freeway overpasses and numerous buildings in the San Fernando Valley. When I got to work at the library in Pasadena, which was much closer to the epicenter, I discovered I had a mess to clean up – including a number of collapsed bookshelves.

Quakes are funny, because the damage is often related to the ground upon which buildings are situated. Take for instance, the quake that hit my hometown of Klamath Falls in 1993, just days after we had left town after a vacation visit. Now, you need to understand that quakes are a rarity in Klamath Falls, so people aren’t as prepared for such an event as they might be in Los Angeles. This quake registered around 6.0 on the Richter scale, which is a pretty-good sized quake, and it destroyed several older brick buildings in the downtown area, including the venerable courthouse. Surprisingly, the oldest building in town, the unreinforced-brick Baldwin Hotel escaped without any damage at all. You see, unlike the other downtown buildings, which sat on reclaimed lake bed, the Baldwin was built on solid bedrock. That foundation wasn't going to move anywhere!

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