Prayer in the park

At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 6, two days after catastrophic flooding claimed dozens of lives in the hill country, a small group of Jackson County residents gathered at the children’s park to pray.

The location was appropriate, considering how many of the victims were children. The water swept away campers, counselors, and an owner from Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp in Hunt. As of Monday morning 27 campers were among the death toll of 68 - a number that was sure to rise in the following days.

Standing in a circle, holding hands, 21 people spoke or listened, eyes closed, heads bowed.