August 10, 2017
Lightning Strike
The St. Matthew chapel was struck by lighting during the early morning hours of August 6, 2017. (August 6th is also the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ.)
The Feast of the Transfiguration is when the glory of Christ was revealed to His disciples as far as they could bear it so that they would understand that His crucifixion was voluntary, and of course, with His resurrection, we would witness the trampling down of death by death or the victory of Christ over “death.”
The best we can determine, the lighting struck the cross on the cupola dome, came into the building’s structure, blew a hole in the cupola ceiling right above the face of Christ on the icon, and then left the building and found the ground.
Amazingly, the lightning bolt did not cause a fire, did not damage any other items in the church or the face of Christ on the icon and, even more astonishing, destroyed the word death on the icon.
Is this a miracle and reminder to us of Christ’s victory over death?
Below is Psalm 102:19-20 from which the words are taken that surround the icon of the Pantokrator.
“He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the Lord viewed the earth, To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death.”
Truly amazing.
Ps. For more pictures; click here.
Update: This story has been covered by local news channel 2. See their coverage here.
Update 2: This story has also been covered by both Fox 23 and the Tulsa World.
