The Journey of Katrina

There's been a lot to ponder in the last few days here in New Orleans. This is a crazy city and it has completely changed everything about the way I view ministry and God. It's been an unexpected journey, but none the less a journey that has so shaped me I cannot imagine what my life would have been like if I had not walked its path. It's strange to think that for the rest of my life, Hurricane Katrina will not be something that happened in a city somewhere in my country. It will not be something I only remembered on occasion, but it will a part of who I am. As my friend pointed out, for those of us who have been a part of this city (and me less than those who actually lived through the actual hurricane), our lives will be forever marked by "before Katrina and after Katrina".

Today is the 2 year anniversary of Katrina - I went to a noon prayer at my church. I watched friends who lived here their whole lives weep at how difficult the last two years have been - people whose homes are rebuilt - who have education and means. I looked around and saw how tired everyone in the room seemed to be. There is a weariness that comes with living here. Yesterday as I left for campus, the thought crossed my mind - I'm just so tired of this constant battle. That's what an outsider who has moved here and who loves city feels so I can only imagine those who lived through the devastation. As I've watched people's stories on the news today I've wondered, "when will this end"?

I think that most of America is tired of hearing about New Orleans - about Katrina. We're just this sad city that's spinning out of control. Major magazines have questioned if New Orleans is worth saving. I can understand the question....when you are coming from a completely scientific point of view it seems ludicrous to save this city. But science can't measure the heart. It can't calculate the stories of people who have lived here for generations - the musicians, the Mardi Gras Indians, the Krews, the families, the stories. There is something about New Orleans that gets into the very fiber of your being - it becomes not just a place to live, but a part of who you are. I say this after living here only a year. I can only imagine how those who trace their roots all the way back hundreds of years must feel.

There is weariness - and hope is very frail these days. So many have been fighting battles for so long. It seems like it will never end and everyone still wants to point fingers at who is to blame rather than take responsibility and move forward. (Today I was seriously disappointed in both Nagin - for continuing to point fingers with no real plan and with Bush - for making a PR visit with no real plan.)It's been two years - will it ever really be okay again? This city needs the gospel. The truth that Christ redeems people and places. That He will indeed make all things new. The life and the hope that believers and the true church (rather than religion) can bring.

This journey has shaped me so much because for the first time in my Christian life I understand at a deep level my great need for the gospel. I need it when I don't safe walking home at night - I need it when I already feel exhausted first thing in the morning on my way to campus. I need it when I wait in long lines and when I see the despair in the lives around me. I also need the church - the body of believers who in tangible (but not perfect) ways demonstrate the love of Christ. In American Christianity we tend to have the "me and God" attitude. Be the strong one - be the one who is in control - just "me and God", that's all I need. Living life that way is no longer an option. Just as I need the gospel, I need the church. This needy city has shown me quiet a bit about my own need and that has become my unforgettable journey of Katrina.