The deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century began August 8 in western Maui and is two-thirds contained. The Hawaii National Guard activated about 258 soldiers and airmen for support duty in disaster zones.

“Words like apocalyptic and warzone and total devastation – none of those words can capture the destruction of history, culture, lives, and livelihoods on Maui,” Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says.

Nearly 200 search and rescue workers and 20 cadaver dogs have processed less than half of the scorched structures in Lahaina. The fire destroyed roughly 2,000 homes and businesses.

“But there is one thing still standing – this banyan tree about 60 feet tall covers a whole block,” Hutchcraft says.

“It’s badly charred, and people aren’t sure what its future will be. But today, it is one symbol of hope amidst all this sadness and ruin.”

This banyan tree stands as a symbol of hope in a landscape of loss.
(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

Tortured beyond recognition, Jesus died on a tree at Calvary – the old rugged cross of redemption. He’s our only hope when the world around us falls apart. Read more on the latest Ron Hutchcraft Ministries blog.

Ask the Lord to help you turn current events into a Gospel conversation.

“As we look at what’s going on in our world, many moments like this become the focus of everybody’s attention. That often allows us to point to a promise of something everlasting, and that’s our Jesus,” Hutchcraft says.

Header image depicts buildings and structures destroyed by the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, August 15, 2023. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Foster)