Related commentaries – Warning

Lot Leaves Sodom And The Cities Are Destroyed – Genesis 19:12 – 19:26

People in New Orleans Refuse to be Rescued by Helicopter

On August 30, 2005 Coast Guard Lieutenant Iain McConnell was ordered to fly his H46 helicopter to New Orleans and to keep it flying around the clock for what would turn out to be a heroic rescue effort. None of his crew were prepared for what they were about to see. The entire city of New Orleans was under water. On their first three missions that day they saved 89 people, three dogs and two cats. On the fourth mission, despite twelve different flights to New Orleans, he and his crew were able to save no one. None! They all refused to board the helicopter. Instead they told the Coast Guard to bring them food and water. Yet they were warned that this was extremely dangerous. The waters were not going to go away soon. Sadly, many of those people perished because of their refusal to be rescued. (From a sermon by Michael P. Walther, Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord, 5/25/2011)