No one was injured. No lives were lost. But what happened in Faunsdale early Monday morning was still a tragedy.

The loss of the First Baptist Church of Faunsdale came as a shock to the small community, but really hit home with the members who called the building home.

Many members gathered near the still-smoldering structure to reminisce, to lament, to comprehend. But that is when something truly remarkable happened.

They exercised their faith. They talked about what to do next. They sang “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks” and they prayed for strength and blessings.

In one of their most troubling times, church members instinctively turned to their faith and to one another for support.

Often in life, it is hard to remember the bigger picture, especially when faced with loss, but the actions and words of the members of First Baptist of Faunsdale are a tremendous example of faith and its ability to help us see the calm that lies beyond the storm.

That immediate showing of strength is enough to ensure the First Baptist Church of Faunsdale will persevere long after the 119-year-old building that once housed it is a distant memory.