Search and Rescue

On our last day in Iceland we visited the Search and Rescue Team in Kópavogur called Björgunarsveit. The team is made up of more than 400 volunteers who respond to disasters like earthquakes, heavy storms, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, missing people, and much more on a local and international level. For three generations now, men and women are trained and equipped to seek out and rescue the lost. 

When a crisis occurs, the whole team is notified. In some cases, they can respond in less than 15 minutes. People leave work in the day or wake up in the middle of the night. The first person to show up to the headquarters is in charge until a “captain” arrives. All people, regardless of age or experience are equipped to take initiative, assess risks, and lead. Every team member is valuable, and it doesn’t matter if you are a tourist or a citizen; every person is worth rescuing. 

A rescue is never over until a person is found. Even if there are pauses, the search may be indefinite. Two women drowned and one was found a few weeks later; the other, a few months. Our guide, Magnus, who gave us a tour, said that search and rescue is “a way of life.” He can call friends on the team and ask for help 24/7 and they will come; no questions asked. The team is built on a foundation of unconditional friendship and deep trust.

The search and rescue team reminds me of parish ministry in Iceland. Rather than being a pastor to “members” of a congregation, the pastor is concerned with care for all people within their geographical region. No questions asked. It does not matter your socio-economic background, citizenship status, or even religious affiliation. Pastors write obituaries for people they have never met, a crisis or a wedding maybe the only time a person connects with a pastor or hears the proclaimed Word. Nevertheless, pastors try to be accessible and embody the unconditional love of Christ. 

The image of a ship has reappeared throughout our time in Iceland. We have seen it in homes, churches, harbors, and lining the walls of a cafe in a fishing village. While the ship can carry memories of tragedy and shipwreck, in Iceland it is also a symbol of safe haven. When there is a lot of fish, the best captains are those who join the crew on the deck to draw in the nets. Similarly, the search and rescue team works together to draw people to safety and rest. What would it look like for church to gather all people to safe haven and sent out those to rescue and serve those who are lost or suffering? What would it look like for church to cast wide it’s nets? 

O God, you are the Great Captain who seeks those who are lost and suffering. You draw every human life and all of creation into your presence, our place of rest and safe haven. Show us your way of rescue and compassion; lead us in your way of unconditional love, and keep us in your peace in the face of life and death. Amen.