(The following post was written by one of our Associate families living in Beirut, Lebanon. This is their update to their friends and family immediately following the explosions in Beirut on August 4, 2020.)

By now many of you have seen the massive explosion that rocked Beirut today. We want to let you all know that we are healthy and safe. We live in the mountains, about a 30-minute drive from downtown.

Here is a picture of the pink smoke plume rising above our kids' school, taken from outside our parking garage. Our daughter's yellow flowers are rising on the left.

It was a moment of great confusion.

The blast took place at the exact moment our electricity went out, shifting from government supply to private generator. This is a normal occurrence in Lebanon, happening several times a day.

It does not normally shake the room. Twice.

Still, maybe it blew the apartment circuits this time. Much is falling apart in the country.

The second thought was an earthquake. We quickly got the kids outside. We were just about to start dinner.

From there, other families came out on their balconies. Not an earthquake, an explosion downtown.

My mind raced into the worst-case scenarios -- probably only a few seconds slower than every Lebanese instinct.

A political assassination. An Israeli strike. The nation has been on edge for weeks.

As of this writing it appears to be an accidental explosion of stored ammonium nitrate. But more will be determined soon, and then even more will be speculated.

It is a nation of conspiracy theories, of which many have some basis in realty. Everyone interferes in Lebanon. And the Lebanese have inflicted much harm upon themselves.

God is always present, if we are looking. After spending a good while outdoors overlooking the port, on our way home we met a neighboring family a few buildings down from ours.

Their daughter is on the basketball team with ours at school. Perhaps a new friendship can form from the tragedy.

And a tragedy it is. The images are horrendous. So much of downtown is destroyed.

Fortunately our downtown church suffered minimal damage. Member families are okay. One friend, up the hill from the port, had their windows blown out by the blast.

We brought the kids home, and finished dinner. We discussed the event, and what it might mean.

We told the kids that explosions are not unusual for Lebanon. It has been several years since the last wave of bombings, but it is important for them to know that they might return.

We talked through the recent political history of Lebanon, and what is going on in the country to inform the various scenarios about what might be behind this explosion.

It is important for them to know that even when such explosions take place, 99 percent of the country's geography is safe. We live in better geography than downtown Beirut.

And we let them know our first priority as parents is to keep them safe. But that it is also a priority to serve the Lebanese people, and we will rely on God's discernment in navigating the future, whatever comes.

It is important for them to know that God brought us here, as a family, and that he is the one who wrote this future. If we are comforted in him, we can comfort others.

And then we prayed together.

Please pray for the country, that this might have only been a tragic accident. Please pray that it will somehow bring a divided nation together.

And please pray for God's resolution toward justice and peace. So much needs fixing.

Thank you for your concern for us and our colleagues in Lebanon. Knowing that we are okay, please fight in prayer against the spiritual forces of evil that plague this ancient land.

There is such beauty and goodness here, if only God's blessing could flow unhindered.

About the Author: Jayson and his family are IDEAS Associates who have lived in the North Africa/Middle East region for 15 years. Click here to read other stories and articles from Jayson's work as a journalist with Christianity Today. 

For the latest posts from Christianity Today, read "Lebanon Was Already in Turmoil. Then Came the Blast" and "12 Beirut Ministries Respond to Lebanon Explosion."