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By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged
ALTADENA, Calif. — I witness a whole lot of despair.
I always look for a little bit of hope.
As a journalist, I’ve covered way too much disaster and destruction.
The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Hurricanes all over the southeastern U.S. Too many tornadoes to count.
Now I’m in a car with a preacher named Lincoln Davis. We’re maneuvering our way through this ravaged Southern California community, where last month’s fast-moving wildfires wiped out entire neighborhood blocks.
Related: Keeping the faith amid the flames
I know the numbers: At least 29 people killed in the Los Angeles area. More than 18,000 structures destroyed or damaged. Tens of thousands forced from their homes.
Still, my eyes struggle to grasp the enormity of the disaster zone.
“Can I get out and take a picture?” I ask, desperate to snap an image that might — somehow — convey the level of destruction.
I click hundreds of photos, but none manages to paint a full picture.
I gaze at obliterated houses, businesses, schools and churches as my nostrils fill with the lingering smell of smoke.
This column appears in the online magazine Religion Unplugged.
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 