Thoughts on the hurricane

Some 25,000 survivors huddled in the Louisianna Superdome are being transported via bus to the Houston Astrodome in our backyard (literally - we can see the stadium from our back window). It's hard to quantify the damage caused by this hurricane.... one of the first things that struck me is that the total monetary damage of this hurrican will far outstrip the tsunami even though the tsunami in SE Asia claimed several hundred thousand lives...... Americans have so much wealth.....

So Erin and I have been thinking today about how we can be proactive in helping all these people - there's opportunities to host some displaced medical students at our home..... one of Erin's friends from med school is from New Orleans, and currently her entire family is living in her one bedroom apt..... perhaps we could offer them a place to stay?

One thing that's been on my mind today is how callous we are to the situation...... when the tsunami hit SE Asia.... there was a great cry of public support to help the victims..... but when is the last time you've heard the tsunami rebuilding effort mentioned? Perhaps it's our instant gratification culture..... something is only tragic in the now - then we move on and make space for other things to captivate our attention. The gulf coast is going to be messed up for a long-time..... you'd have to be pretty well off to be able to support a family financially for months (it's not like insurance pay-outs are instantaneous..... and I wonder what percentage were actually insured?) All the children will be missing school for sometime....... I also think that the majority of displaced homeless or poor folk will end up staying in Houston - what would they go back to? How would they even afford to get back?

All of this has my mind racing with ideas and questions...... sadly most people will look on this situation and think that God has somehow abandoned the gulf coast.... or God can't exist because of these types of events..... I however harbor a great deal of hope. When the rich young ruler approached the Christ and asked Him what else he must do to inherit eternal life (presuming that he'd followed perfectly all the commandments), Christ told him to sell all his possessions and follow Him. Is not Christ the Father of the fatherless? The defender of the widowed and poor? Surely these things are more than spiritual realities......

So here we have, across the street, 25,000 people. That's the University of Utah sitting across the street..... homeless and in dire need of mercy..... their lives are begging for rescue & for them I have much hope - they have no more possessions... all they have is questions and the stark realization that they are incapable of themselves to provide the answers.

As you are no doubt in prayer for all those effected - remember the Houstonians - and pray their mercy would extend to this new city forged within our city.

I leave you all with this passage, found in the middle of a rather lengthy lament of God's destruction of a nation......

Lamentations 3:21-58

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. 29 Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. 30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. 31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. 33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men. 34 To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land,
35 to deny a man his rights before the Most High, 36 to deprive a man of justice— would not the Lord see such things? 37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? 39 Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins? 40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. 41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: 42 "We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. 43 "You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. 44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. 45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. 46 "All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. 47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction." 48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. 49 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, 50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. 51 What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city. 52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.
53 They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; 54 the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. 55 I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. 56 You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief."
57 You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear." 58 O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.