Hurricane Katrina - Two Years Ago

Wow. It is hard to believe that two years have passed since then, yet it also seems so long ago. So much has changed for me personally since that time (including starting a job and buying a house to name two biggies). It has been a while since I have been to New Orleans. It took me a while to get down there after the storm, although I drove to Houston and Shreveport and Rustin plenty after the storm to visit friends affected by the storm. I remember the first trip, which was made in March after the storm hit in August, and the 9th Ward looked almost like it did right after the storm. Progress is slow. Now those houses are gone and the lots in the lower 9th were mostly empty when I was there this spring. Progress is slowly occurring. Progress takes time. Rebuilding takes time. In some ways, I think of the rebuilding of the temple in Judah when the Babylonian exiles returned. They wanted the temple to return to its former glory, but that was not possible. Without really trying to get into too deep of a theological comparison (or draw too close of a parallel), I think that we can look to the minor prophets and Ezra and Nehemiah to gain insight into what the people of New Orleans must be feeling as well. There must be a sense of frustration and exhaustion that runs on so many different levels. I think that we can learn a lot about what to say to New Orleans by studying God's Word. I know that I need to remember that since I come in contact with so many from that area so often (whether it be through e-mails, websites, text messages, phone calls, or hopefully a visit soon). We also need to remember that as part of the Church, we still have a huge ministry opportunity in the whole Gulf region.