"The Lord's Recovery" Tragedy - Parallels to Astroworld 2021

Recently I watched a documentary called "Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy." The tragedy described reminded me of my experience in "The Lord's Recovery." Except in Astroworld, there wasn't intentional abuse of people trying to breathe, by those to whom they appealed for help. In "The Lord's Recovery", those who seek help are further pushed down, in my experience.

A quick re-cap of the Astroworld tragedy:

Many people, with a common passion, enjoying together. Thousands. "Good kids," they are described by a reporter. But a deadly mixture of:

Mob Mentality.

Celebrities.

Fandom.

Pressure.

Oblivion.

Carelessness.

Ignoring warnings.

Shunning messengers.

Delegated Authority.

Inconvenient Love and Truth.

Due to the above ingredients, intense, unbearable suffering, including vibrant young lives being crushed and extinguished, was ignored by all who were not directly affected, until the show ended.

"I can't breathe." Sophia, a nurse and concertgoer who lived to tell her life-threatening experience at Astroworld describes her realization. "I can't take a deep breath. It was full-blown panic." Later Sophia describes how she thought, "Don't fall down, because you won't make it back up." Thankfully, when she did fall, someone reached for her and lifted her to safety.

Many needed help. Many needs were neglected. Those who wanted to help were overwhelmed and mostly undertrained.

People could not escape a situation of overwhelming pressure.

A friend told his friend nearby, "I can't breathe, man." His friend responded, "Try to relax, man. Drink some water." The friend wasn't able to relax, nor to drink water. He died that night.

Another concertgoer, Ayden, describes hearing his friend Bri in pain, asking for help. He was helpless. The more he fought the crowd, the more energy he was wasting and the more oxygen he was losing. The pain, the panic.... Someone reached for Ayden and helped him escape the crushing pressure.

He then desperately went onto the stage, trying to stop the show. "People are dying," he can be heard saying, begging that someone would stop the show... while angry onlookers are telling him to get down. "Ya'll weren't in there," he responds. "People are dying. I am trying to save someone's life. That's someone's kid. I am trying to save them." "Where?" someone asks. He is told to calm down, Finally another person joins him on the stage, and together they keep pleading that whoever can would stop the show.

As all this is going on, the performer is telling everyone to put their hands into the sky. Then, the performer can be seen being raised higher into the air on a pedestal.

Screams from scores of concertgoers, even in unison, crying "HELP! HELP! HELP!" and "Stop the show! Stop the show!" were unheeded.

Thousands of others had no idea what was going on. They were sharing the rapture of mob mentality. They were having the time of their lives, while other concertgoers at the same venue were breathing their last breaths.

911 calls were being made, while the performer is telling everyone to bounce, hands are waving in the air... air that some could no longer access.

"It felt like a horror movie," a concertgoer shares, describing the desperate motions and screams for help that went unseen and unheard.

As people were dying, instead of stopping the show, another celebrity joined the stage.

"The idea of a performance continuing while CPR - even one - is underway is insane," Crowd safety expert Scott Davidson states. "Unprecedented. Not to mention multiple!"

One of the main problems at that tragic Astroworld concert, called out by that safety expert, was, in his own words, "Delegated authority." Literally. Davidson explains that only two people had the delegated authority to stop that show. Without "delegated authority," people were helpless, no matter how skilled or desperate or empathetic they were.

And there were three problems with those endowed with the delegated/deputy authority: Firstly, they had a personal interest in the financial success of the event. Secondly, the delegated authorities were completely out of touch with the true situation among the "common" attendees seeking help. Thirdly, the delegated authorities were untouchable. They were nearly impossible to find or contact. But even when they knew the situation was bad, they were interested in protecting their image and profit.

The main issue, perhaps, is that stopping the show due to the fact that lives were being extinguished was inconvenient. But because of the inconvenience, love was not shown to those suffering, and the truth was ignored.

Eventually, every show comes to an end. Eventually, the aftermath of a deadly environment can't be ignored, no matter how inconvenient it is to face the truth. And people have to face the tragedy.

The overwhelming sense of defeat is felt by those who tried to stop the show and save lives. The unspeakable pain is borne by loved ones who lost someone... for the rest of their lives.

In the case of Astroworld, by the time the reality was examined, it was too late to save at least 10 young, precious lives, or to prevent permanent injury to hundreds of others.

In the case of "The Lord's Recovery," many deaths and injuries have already occurred. Messengers have sought to bring attention to the injurious conditions, words, patterns, and practices, only to be shunned. When will the lethal environment - and the injuries and deaths that have already resulted, be addressed by leaders?

I'll just draw a few parallels between what I have seen, heard, and experienced, in the Lord's Recovery, and the Astroworld Tragedy.

Mob Mentality. Though alone, we may care about others, in the midst of a crowd, we adopt a mob mentality, and will shun people, not care for others, etc. to go along with the multitude of others, especially when being led by a charismatic/highly respected individual or group (celebrities among us).

Celebrities. Watchman Nee. Witness Lee. Even Philip Lee. Benson Philips. Blended Brothers. Senior Coworkers. Full Time Trainees. Full-timers. Elders. Whoever may get special treatment and extra respect.....

Fandom. Sycophants or just pure admirers hold the celebrities on a stage/pedestal with a degree of impunity, idolatry, worship, adoration....

Pressure. I have sometimes felt like I am being pushed under water, unable to breathe, in my personal experience in this group.... but another description, now that I watched this documentary, would be that I am being pushed by/under people.... In addition, there is pressure to meet various demands. Pressure created by some wanting to be on stage themselves, or as close as they can get to the celebrities. Pressure of people who are being swept into a mob mentality, not able to clearly see what those around them, or just a few feet away, are experiencing. Pressure to conform. Pressure to sign a letter of allegiance to a celebrity in your group. Pressure to stay silent, not to interrupt the show. Pressure to breathe, pressure to survive, pressure to help others trying to survive. Pressure to be heard, because lives are being lost......

Oblivion. "We are Philadelphia! We are the overcomers! We are God's best! We have God's unique minister of the age! We are under God's up-to-date speaking! We have the high peak! We have the ministry of the age! We are the true church, meeting scripturally unlike everyone else!" members may claim, clueless about the depth of suffering being experienced by their fellow members around them or just a little ways away from them, out of their purview. "Just keep calling on the Lord and all the problems will be solved!"

Carelessness. "Just enjoy the Lord! Get out of your mind and into your spirit! If you are thinking, you aren't drinking! Where is your joy?" ones who are suffering may hear... and much more. And... "Thousands of us are here, enjoying. Who is suffering? That must be a rare exception. Perhaps the one suffering deserves it. Perhaps YOU are the problem for not just joining the thousands who are having a good time! Don't let anything bring you down! That is death! Stay on the Tree of Life! O Lord Jesus! Say that three times, loudly!"

Ignoring Warnings. Many may report their pain, their difficulties, their unsustainable situations, only to be ignored or even judged. "Again, look at the majority of us! We are having the time of our lives! If you have a problem, you must just need more of the Ministry! How is your morning revival? Just submit to the delegated/deputy authority!"

Shunning the Messengers. Those who are willing to do what some may consider unthinkable - who actually appeal to the performers and to anyone who may be able to help, to stop the show, to halt a program, to change directions, to soberly address a serious situation of many hurting and being injured, even dying, around them... are shunned by fellow members and by those running the show, including the leaders/performers on the stage. "Get down. Go away! Leave! Be quiet! Don't ruin our fun! Let the show go on...."

Delegated Authority. No one has the ability to correct a problem without the delegated authority, but the delegated authority is removed from the issues or are unreachable or don't truly care enough to remedy the dangerous conditions, or have a vested interest in the success of the problematic program. Their image or their monetary gain or both may be affected if the show is not a success. So submit to delegated authority. Be one with God's deputy authority. Just go along with the program....

Inconvenient Love and Truth. To take the way of caring for each person's situation requires love and honesty. It is not convenient to address problems and to make adjustments to ensure that universally, people's well-being is supported by our plans, words, actions, behavior, patterns, practices... and that when we realize there is a compromise of someone's well-being, we face the truth head-on, seeking the whole truth and embracing it, knowing it fully, so it can set us free.

An added layer to The Lord's Recovery tragedy: In my experience, the tragedy in The Lord's Recovery is far worse than the mismanaged concert of Travis Scott. When I have reached for help, I have been punished for doing so. I have been told, when I raised my voice at my husband and his mom, explaining to them that I am not mad, that I am hurting, that I am in pain, that I was disrespectful to my mother-in-law, and even 15 months later, I was told that because I raised my voice at my mother-in-law, I had to leave my home when she arrived. I and my young adult children are now treated like we don't exist, by my husband's side of our family, when we need help the most. I have used the analogy many times, that I feel like I can't breathe, but I am punished for thrashing my arms, trying to get air, or raising my voice in pleas for help.

Seeking help beyond family members, I have scheduled time with a highly respected senior co-worker multiple times, but have been told it is good my husband still initiates contact with me, when he has been breaking the law in his treatment of me. After our second meeting, this same blended brother told me lies before sending me away from his presence. He has threatened me that if I don't remove a book from Amazon that I wrote about my experiences, I will miss the kingdom reward (1000 years wedding feast, which if you miss it, you will be weeping and gnashing your teeth in outer darkness for those years, making up for not being faithful and wise during your lifetiime).....

The behavior of responsible ones in "The Lord's Recovery" has been far more shameful and abusive than anything I observed in the documentary about the Astroworld Tragedy.

When one suffers, everyone suffers, whether they realize it at the time or not. For a while, a few may be suffering without the awareness of the majority in a group...

...Until the show ends. Until the truth is fully known. Then perhaps we will calculate the damages. God most surely, as the righteous Judge, knows everything that has ever gone on, is going on, and will go on. God cares. He loves the lives cut short, the lives forever affected by trauma, physical injuries, dark depression, loss of loved ones....

Problems in the Astroworld tragedy were largely unknown, unseen, unheard, or ignored by the masses as they were playing out.

But many who were aware were doing all in their limited power to help those around them. Some escaped the lethal pressure. Some helped others escape and get help. At least one who was helped to narrowly escape tried his best to end the show early, to save lives. And at least one other concertgoer joined him on stage, pleading for the show to stop, to save lives. They did all they could. And we can learn of them and from this tragedy.

Astroworld 2021

As long as I am aware of problems, I am going to do all I can to help those around me from the perils of a crowd mentality, of celebrity worship, and of other commonalities "The Lord's Recovery" shares with the Astroworld tragedy in 2021.

I hope if you are aware of anyone being injured, anyone hurting amidst the pressures in "The Lord's Recovery," you would not just insist that the show go on. Each life matters to the Lord.

Love and truth are rarely convenient. Choose them anyway.

#thelordsrecovery