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ADVENT 2024: We have a lot to learn about hope from Chimney Rock, NC this Christmas
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When we focus on survival, life becomes pretty straightforward. Food, water, shelter, health, and hopefully the warm embrace of a loved one. That’s what we truly need.
If we are blessed to have all those, then I know you agree we have a lot to be grateful for this Christmas.
But what if a less evident, less material, and largely unrecognized factor is equally important to human survival? Based on my experience as a faith-based leader who’s traveled to more than 50 countries, mobilizing churches to respond to wars and natural disasters, I believe there is.
That less evident factor is hope. If we truly understood its power, we’d package it up and stuff it into every survival kit the world over.
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Hope was actually the focus of this past Sunday of Advent, on December 1, for Christians around the world, and it was a pivotal part of the Angel’s announcement to the shepherds of the birth of Christ.
In Luke 2:9-12 we read, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’”
In their day, shepherds were outcasts, poor, and downtrodden. Their lives were hard, and they had little to look forward to. But the fact that God chose to reveal the birth of Christ to them gave them hope. And this news spurred the shepherds to action.
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I’ve personally witnessed how hope empowers the human spirit to prevail. People can weather just about anything. As long as they have hope. Hope gives human beings the confident expectation that a better day is coming. It enables us to live victorious through life’s tsunamis with our heads above the water, rather than under it.
For one very recent example, just consider Chimney Rock, North Carolina.
In September, Hurricane Helene’s intense rains triggered catastrophic flooding in Chimney Rock and all throughout parts of Appalachia. Roads were washed out; homes and businesses were flooded. Residents in remote regions were literally cut off from civilization, and a staggering 126,000 homes sustained damage.
Flash forward to today, and when you make your way down Main street in Chimney Rock you’ll still see that most of the businesses that are fortunate to be standing are still boarded up. Peek inside, however, and you’ll see a flurry of activity.
The town’s alive with a glorious orchestra of pounding nails. Fresh two-by-four framing has gone up, and pristine drywall has already replaced the damaged interiors.
As Chimney Rock Mayor Pete O’Leary recently said, “It’s been constant construction, constant cleaning, constant traffic on the road with dump trucks and big vehicles. We were hit hard and we need a lot of assistance to get back on our feet, and we’re very hopeful that assistance will be forthcoming.”
Did you notice that he said “hopeful”? It’s what all of us desperately need in times of adversity.
Our team at CityServe has been active in a five-state region hit by the storm, with a special focus on western North Carolina and Chimney Rock. We’ve mobilized chainsaw crews to clear out debris and set up aid stations to distribute food and water. We also helped coordinate the delivery of special cargo that Ivanka Trump brought to North Carolina: 300 StarLink devices requested by President-elect Trump and provided by Elon Musk. They were distributed to first responders who used them to reconnect with residents who’d lost communications.
But I’d submit that Ivanka’s arrival, and the arrival of many other philanthropists and charitable organizations, brought something that — while less tangible — may have been even more important. They brought hope. Residents of North Carolina’s wild and beautiful hill country knew they’d not been forgotten; that helped sustain their hope.
To be clear, much work remains and countless repairs are still needed. Mayor O’Leary estimates Chimney Rock’s Main Street will not reopen until sometime this spring.
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But here’s what I can tell you: In the face of heartbreak and devastation, Chimney Rock will ultimately emerge bigger and better than ever. How can I be so sure?
Because while it’s true many there have lost loved ones, their homes and businesses, their hope is alive and well. If you think Helene can keep them from celebrating the Holidays this year, think again.
Want to take stock this Christmas of all our blessed nation has to be grateful for? I’d say start with the resilient residents of Chimney Rock. Their hopeful spirit in the wake of a devastating flood stands as a shining example for all of us. With the help of friends and neighbors, they’re piecing their community back together one nail, one dry-wall section, one plywood slab at a time.
For the shepherds at the very first Christmas, the Lord made it a point to reveal himself to those who needed good news the most. So, as Americans help those who need it most right now, we’re learning an important lesson about hope this Christmas. We’re learning that no matter the hurdles, hope is always possible.
May the people of Chimney Rock be a lesson to us all. Their endurance shows us that as long as the beacon of hope shines bright, nothing can stop a people blessed by Providence with a spirit to endure.
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Southeast
Illegal immigrant arrested after showing up to Florida Border Patrol office for contract IT work
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FIRST ON FOX: An illegal immigrant who reported to a U.S. Border Patrol site in Florida to perform some Information technology contractual work was arrested when authorities were made aware of his citizenship status, officials said.
Angel Camacho, a Venezuelan citizen, reported to a USBP center in Dania Beach, Florida, Jan. 6 to do some IT work when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials began vetting him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital.
During its investigation, it was revealed Camacho was in violation of U.S. immigration laws, authorities said.
Angel Camacho reported to a Florida U.S. Border Patrol center to perform contractual work when he was arrested, a Department of Homeland Security official said. (Getty Images )
“CBP vets all external visitors before allowing them to enter secure facilities to ensure safety and operational integrity,” DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement.
“During the vetting process, CBP uncovered this individual was a tourist visa overstay in the country for over five years.”
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This photo shows a U.S. Border Patrol patch on a border agent’s uniform in McAllen, Texas, Jan. 15, 2019. (Suzanne CordeiroAFP via Getty Images)
Camacho was arrested and transferred to ICE custody, Bis said.
His criminal history includes theft and resisting a Florida Highway Patrol officer, officials said. Federal authorities have nabbed several illegal immigrants in the process of trying to obtain employment in law enforcement and education.
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One Sierra Leone citizen was recently arrested as he was training to become a Pennsylvania corrections officer.
Another illegal immigrant, Ian Roberts, served as the former superintendent of Iowa’s largest district, Des Moines Public Schools, before he was arrested by ICE.
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A Georgia high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after allegations of inappropriate contact between a teacher and a minor student surfaced at Lee County High School.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent or foster parent, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
Lee County High School requested the Leesburg Police Department investigate the allegations on Feb. 3, and the GBI was called to assist the following day.
Danielle Weaver, 29, of Leesburg, Ga., is charged with child molestation and improper sexual contact by an employee. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators identified Weaver as the “subject,” and identified the victim as a student under 18 years old at Lee County High School, according to officials.
GBI agents continued the investigation along with the Leesburg Police Department, and arrest warrants were obtained for Weaver on Tuesday.
A Google Maps street view photo of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. (Google Maps)
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Weaver turned herself in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, and was later released on bond, according to a report from WALB News.
This investigation is active and ongoing, according to the GBI.
The incident allegedly happened at a high school in Georgia. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Once complete, the case file will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Leesburg is located in South Georgia, and is about an hour and a half north of Tallahassee, Florida.
Lee County High School’s communications team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southeast
Federal court clears way for Ten Commandments to be displayed in Louisiana public school classrooms
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A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, lifting a lower court block and reigniting debate over religion in public education.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit voted 12-6 to lift a block first imposed in 2024, finding it was too early to determine the constitutionality of the law. Critics argue the requirement violates the separation of church and state, while supporters say the Ten Commandments are historical and foundational to U.S. law.
The court said in the majority opinion that it was unclear how schools would display the poster-sized materials, noting that the law allows additional content, like the Mayflower Compact or the Declaration of Independence, to appear alongside the Ten Commandments.
The majority wrote that there were not enough facts to “permit judicial judgment rather than speculation” when evaluating potential First Amendment concerns.
A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court block on Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom law, bringing the measure closer to taking effect. (John Bazemore/AP)
In a concurring opinion, Circuit Judge James Ho, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, wrote that the law was constitutional and “consistent with our founding traditions.”
“It is fully consistent with the Constitution, and what’s more, it reinforces our Founders’ firm belief that the children of America should be educated about the religious foundations and traditions of our country,” Ho said, adding that the law “affirms our Nation’s highest and most noble traditions.”
Circuit Judge James L. Dennis, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a dissenting opinion that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms would amount to “exposing children to government‑endorsed religion in a setting of compulsory attendance.”
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A federal appeals court ruling on Feb. 20 allows Louisiana’s Ten Commandments classroom mandate to proceed for now. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“That is precisely the kind of establishment the Framers anticipated and sought to prevent,” he added.
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups representing the plaintiffs said they would pursue additional legal challenges to block the law.
“Today’s ruling is extremely disappointing and would unnecessarily force Louisiana’s public school families into a game of constitutional whack-a-mole in every school district,” the groups wrote in a joint-statement. “Longstanding judicial precedent makes clear that our clients need not submit to the very harms they are seeking to prevent before taking legal action to protect their rights.”
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry praised the appeals court decision on Feb. 20 allowing the Ten Commandments classroom law to move forward. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Friday praised the court’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Common sense is making a comeback!”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement following the ruling, saying schools “should follow the law.”
“Don’t kill or steal shouldn’t be controversial. My office has issued clear guidance to our public schools on how to comply with the law, and we have created multiple examples of posters demonstrating how it can be applied constitutionally,” she said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said schools should follow the Ten Commandments display law after a federal appeals court lifted a lower court block on Feb. 20. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Joseph Davis, an attorney representing Louisiana in the case, celebrated the court’s decision.
“If the ACLU had its way, every trace of religion would be scrubbed from the fabric of our public life,” he said in a statement. “That position is at odds with our nation’s traditions and our Constitution. We’re glad the Fifth Circuit has allowed Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in its public school classrooms.”
Friday’s ruling came after the full court agreed to reconsider the case, months after a three-judge panel ruled the Louisiana law unconstitutional.
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A similar law in Arkansas faces a federal court challenge, while Texas implemented its own Ten Commandments classroom requirement last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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