Alright, so as some of you have probably noticed, things are kind of nuts in the US right now. We have an uncoordinated helter skelter disaster rescue going on in New Orleans.
We are probably seeing the single worst disaster in United States history, due to the severity of damages, the loss of lives, the lag of a timely rescue and response, and the economic repercussions which are more visible and often, shamefully, more of a priority to most of us Americans.
At times like these it is important to remember first off, we need to be praying
for these folks down in the gulf, and remember that despite this being an incredibly
terrifying and unfathomable situation, that God is in control, and there is only so much we can do. It is one of those times when the best effort sadly seems to be the most predictable:
Stay home, pray, send your donations, and watch the drama continue to unfold.
At this point it seems things have more or less gotten to a decided plan, and as relief has arrived, evacuations are underway, and security is in place, we need to accomodate for the road ahead. No doubt it's going to be tough.
We're dealing with a change in things. I am finding it important to think positively about it, but nonetheless, gas has gone up, and few have realized what that means. Oil permeates every facet of our lives, we have become so reliant on it, we don't even realize it's there. Petroleum accounts for processing the majority of our household items, consumables, our medicines, our roads, paints, and of course our fuel. When our availability of oil comes to a sudden drop, we recognize that immediate cost at the pump. The more dramatic implication is that costs rise
for everything. Our economy, our livelihood as the most powerful nation on earth is based on a steady supply of that black gold.
We're realizing what a significant place New Orleans was, we're recognizing the implications of natural and civil disaster, we must also remember that there is a subtle irony in the fact that a city with so many poor and powerless people is a significant staging ground for bringing in the resources that make our country so affluent and so powerful. We've been minded of the seeming worst of human sin and vile behavior, we've had the most squalid conditions illustrated to us by words and pictures.
There are too many lessons to count that we will probably soon forget, once our gas prices go down and the media goes back to following around presidential sex affairs and celebrity court trials. But Hurricane Katrina, in all its mess an all its glory, is the single most important lesson of our times. It is perhaps more significant than September 11th or the war in Iraq. It is a culimination of all the division and all the unity in our nation.
It is a reminder that we are strong, but weak. We have failed each other, and our government has failed us. We know that the world is dismal, cold, and scowling, but we also know that there are people that are willing to help, to sacrifice, and to go beyond expectations.
We are fallen and imperfect people, and we are all just as in need of rescue as every one of those people stranded in shack homes and huddled together along ruined
interstates. We are just as vile and damnable as those armed gangs, rapists, copkillers.
I'm pointing the finger at myself again tonight. I am every American. I have failed every American. And yet somehow, I will sleep tonight, because I still have my bed, and I still have a sense that maybe I will do something worth being
put on this earth for.
In conclusion, I have rambled and typed for too long. But I would like to stress that my personal opinion is that this crisis is a blessing for us all, as, the fact is, a lot of us are only affected by the fuel scarcity issue, and maybe this is God waking us up and telling us to appreciate what we have and how blessed we've been.
We're still blessed. And to anyone who is in, from, or knows folks who have been directly affected by the hurricane, my condolences, you've been in my prayers all week. Despite my close attention to unfolding events, I cannot fathom the tragedy that has occurred, but I do know it has been more affecting to me than any other newsbite in my entire life, and I suspect that at least a few other people probably feel the same way. We're learning what true suffering means. We're learning what true hardship is and we're trying to learn from it. There have been great and terrible things to come from this.
