Second Anniversary

Today is August 28, 2007. Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of Katrina's landfall. I suspect that it will not come as news to many that recovery is a long way away for much of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. A ride through Lakeview, Gentilly, and the Ninth Ward lays bare the reality that only a small percentage of homes have been replaced or repaired in the areas that were flooded. Yet the population of New Orleans is approaching pre-Katrina levels, now over 300,000, while medical care operates at less than 50% of past capacity. On the Mississippi side of the lake the situation is not much better. In Biloxi the casinos have sped up the economic recovery for the working population, however the poor, the disabled, the homeless, the elderly are all still waiting for the promised help. In East Biloxi less that 40% of the homes have been restored. Businesses are still shut down, there is no homeless shelter, and only one place for a free meal once per day. Pass Christian, Bay St Louis, and Waveland have just now begun to replace the sewers, utilities, and streets that were destroyed. It is hard not to be despondent when the major feature of the landscape is "front steps to nowhere" .

So what are we doing? Moving forward resolutely!

Tomorrow at 6 AM I will join about 200 people at Gulfside Assembly for a Sunrise Service. Gulfside is a UMC facility and was the only retreat center in the region open to African American congregations until the civil rights era. It seemed an appropriate place to hold a service to emphasize Jesus' call to serve those who have been marginalized. Bishop Duncan Gray of Mississippi will keynote. The service in interfaith and so we will pray Muslim, Jewish, and Christian prayers and read Buddhist meditations. We will do this in English, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Hebrew. Such is common fare for New England, but not so familiar for Mississippi. The vision for the service is justice, compassion, and hope for all people.

Last night we hosted a dinner for members of an Indian delegation who were Tsunami survivors to look at the government response there and here and share stories of survival. One woman from Pass Christian told of being in a house with her two children and her mother. She had been frightened of water as a child, but had forced herself to take swimming lessons as an adult. When the water began to rise as the hurricane moved on shore, she was the only swimmer. She remembered being petrified of the water when she looked down from the second story as the waves washed in. Then the house collapsed and she was at once in the water. She told us of how she became peaceful and relaxed, knowing that God would care for her regardless of the outcome. She struggled to save both her mother and children. Just as she thought she would lose the battle a voice called out to her, "I will help you. I will get your mother, save the children." She told of how before the storm people in her neighborhood barely spoke, but after the storm they supported each other with tears, hugs, laughter and food. She told of trading some jambalaya she had made on a grill for cat food to feed the kitty. Simply one friend helping another friend and sharing the bounty. Sounds an awful lot like the feeding of the five thousand to me.

Jericho Road and Hallelujah Housing are both actively building new houses for poor familes in NOLA and in MS. More about those projects later. A news person asked me this morning if there was anything that I wanted to say about the anniversary. I offered that our hope is that we not be forgotten as time and distraction dim the memory of our country to what happened here. This was a disaster of epic proportions. We have had a response of epic proportions also, but there is a long way to go.

May God who cares for us give us the strength to go forward.

PS I have pics of the dinner. Will post when I download my camera. Stay tuned....