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DID GOD SEND HURRICANE KATRINA?
The images that streamed into our homes of the devastation wrought by Hurricane
Katrina and the plight of the victims and survivors stirred passions and emotions
from deep within. "Everything's gone!" wailed one survivor looking at a pile of
rubble that was once her home, "All I got is me...just me and the Lord."
This is America! This is my neighbor! This is my sister and my brother!
Alas, this could be me! That pile of rubble could be my home! Once again,
tragedy brings out the best in some and the worst in others. Some reach out to help
and some to take advantage. Some build community; some take care of themselves.
As ambassadors of Christ we are called to be agents of healing, hope and comfort.
Americans began answering an urge to do something to help. See how
God has touched hearts and we are sending money, water, food, medical supplies,
toiletries, tarps and clothing in unprecedented amounts. Relief drives are underway
in many churches and communities. Communities are opening doors to offer
shelter, food, and clothing to (I shudder as I write this word) refugees. Churches
at all levels - local, regional and national - are responding. Caravans of supplies
are pouring into the Gulf Coast region from all over the country from many different
sources. Lord, when were you hungry, when were you thirsty, when were you naked
or when were you without shelter?
Many are bewildered, if not angry, at the tardy response of government agencies,
particularly FEMA and trusted organizatons, particularly the Red Cross and the
Salvation Army. The blame game is well underway, diverting focus and wasting
energy better directed toward victims who haven't had any fresh water for
three or more days. In the memorable words of one official, "I'm sick of press
conferences. Send us somebody!" Well, it took almost a week, but finally FEMA,
the Red Cross and the Salvation Army responded. Once again we were reminded
that those who put their faith in institutions or the things of this world will be
disappointed. We are called to put faith in God alone.
I was asked a question a few days after Hurricane Katrina had stuck,
"Why would a loving God do this?"
My answer is both simple and complex. God did NOT do this!
God did not hurl Hurrican Katrina into New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast
to wipe out casinos and night clubs and punish the populace for their sins. The
casinos and night clubs will be rebuilt. The "Big Easy" will be celebrating Mardi
Gras in 2006! Tourists will (how ironic) be sipping "hurricanes" as they stroll down
Bourbon Street. Most, but not all, of the populace will return and restore as best
they can what was lost.
No, we sin to blame God for this. We have been blessed with intelligence
and memory. Experience teaches us that Katrina is not the first and won't be the
last hurricane to devastate our shorelines. People who live by the beautiful seashore
should know to expect a hurricane. Sadly, many felt that since their structure
survived the last big storm to hit the area, Hurricane Camille, they could "ride it
out" safely. Pleas to evacuate were not heeded. We are wrong to blame God for
their misplaced faith. Provisions to evacuate the poorest were not made.
We sin to blame God for human error or short-sightedness. Still, old Satan
tempts us to wonder why a loving God wouldn't still the storm or turn it
back out to sea. The truth is God and his creation doesn't work that way.
It's the way God created this fragile and living planet.
Our collective experiences on this earth should have taught us a few lessons.
People who live near volcanos shouldn't be shocked when it erupts.
People who live near fault lines shouldn't be surprised by an earthquake.
People who live near rivers shouldn't have a crisis of faith when it floods.
People who live in the mountains shouldn't be astounded by rockslides or avalanches.
People who live in the plains shouldn't be astonished by a tornado.
People who live in deserts shouldn't be stunned by a lack of water.
(But I think we can all be amazed at the price of gasoline!)
So what do we make of those who live in a city near the seashore, between a great
river and a huge lake that is also below sea level? Does anyone rightly
blame God for this?
God sent warnings and, if you will permit, prophecies. The levees were too low.
The pumps were inadequate. The emergency response would not be able to meet the
crisis. Electricity would be out, fresh water unavailable, transportation paralyzed,
communication knocked out, banks and stores closed, shortages of everything,
especially with the port closed. The infrastructure would be in shambles. Law and
order would collapse. These warnings were ignored or considered unlikely.
But study after study came to the same dire conclusions. Critics claimed that the
possibility of the "worst case scenario" was too small to justify the expense of
preparedness. So solutions were placed on lower spending priorities. With Hurricane
Katrina, the improbable happened. We were not prepared and the dire predictions
all came true. Whom should we blame - God or man?
I have been personally overwhelmed by the devastation caused by the hurricane.
Reports say it's an area the size of Great Britain. I am familiar with the area.
Most of my relatives on my father's side live just north of Pass Christian, Mississippi.
They are all safe even though some property has been lost or damaged.
They are coping with no water, gas, electricity, communication, closed grocery stores,
banks, pharmacies, washed out roads, bridges, missing windows, leaky roof, flies,
and a "zillion mosquitoes". But their houses are sound and not flooded.
And, thanks be to God, they are all safe.
Again we have been reminded that all we have accumulated, expect and take
for granted can be quickly stripped away. Notice how all the acquisitions of
consumerism have to get blown away before we remember how lucky we are
just to be alive. Many were not so lucky. Conservative estimates of the death
toll place Hurricane Katrina as the second deadliest storm in the US after
the 8,000 deaths from the Galveston hurricane. Again we are painfully reminded
to be watchful and prepare for we know not the day nor the hour God will
call our souls. In the end we don't own anything. We only borrow or, as the
Bible reminds us, are stewards. God is the only absolute. Everything else will
pass away. God, as the hymn reminds us, is "our shelter from the stormy blast
and our eternal home."
Yes, this too shall pass. We can hope that we will learn from our past mistakes.
Maybe next time - and there WILL be a next time - the levees will be stong
enough and high enough, the emergency response will be quicker and more efficient,
the order to evacuate will be heeded, arrangements to evacuate the poorest will
be made, adequate supplies of water, food, toiletries, and medical supplies will be
stockpiled, and emergency power will be available. But those who place their
faith on these alone - or FEMA, the Red Cross or the Salvation Army - will be
disappointed. Maybe the cities and towns, homes and businesses, places of worship,
hospitals and government offices ruined by the hurricane will all be rebuilt better than
before. Maybe even the gambling parlors, strip joints, nightclubs and bars will be
cleaned out of the area in the rebuilding process. But in the end - and there
WILL be an end - when we look out and wail, "Everything's gone!", may we
have the grace to say with blessed assurance,
"All I got is me...just me and the Lord!"
Rev. Steve Holcomb
A GUIDE FOR CHARTIBLE DONATIONS
On Sunday, December 26, 2004, an powerful 9.0 earthquake created a tsunami that devastated coastal areas in 12 countries in south Asia and east Africa. The death toll is estimated to be 150,000 people making this one of the worst natural disasters in history. If one were to ring their church bell each second for each death, the bell would ring without ceasing for 41 days and 16 hours. More than half of the victims were children. Entire villages and populations were swept away.
Most survivors had little shelter, food, water, medicine, or transportation. The world responded in an unprecedented outpouring of aid. Many shared with me that they were moved to make a contribution.
It is sad commentary on human greed that there are those who seize opportunities such as this for personal profiteering. How can you know if your contribution will go to the intended victims? Here are a few wise guidelines:
1. Donate to charities serving the international community you know and trust. Click on one of these websites and learn what rating or grade your charity merits:
http://www.charitynavigator.org
or
http://www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html
2. Designate your contribution to the particular relief effort you intend and obtain a promise from the charity that they will honor your designation.
3. Give to charities that are already established in the country and have staff on site serving the victims. You may be surprised to learn many Christian denominations are not well established in certain areas of the world and could have a difficult time (with an added expense) getting your contribution to those most in need.
4. No reputable charity should telephone you or email you. Be wary of any telephone or email from someone who claims to represent a charity. Ask a telemarketer what percentage of any donation you would make actually goes to the charity (they are required to provide this information by Federal law.) Better to hang up on the telemarketer or trash the spam and contact the charity directly yourself. That way the charity uses a greater percentage of your donation and avoids paying the marketing fee that can be as high as 90% of your donation!
5. Get a receipt. In a few weeks contact the charity and inquire how your donation was utilized. A reputable charity should be able to quickly provide this information.
Your servant for Christ Jesus, Steve Holcomb
LAUS DEO
Ever visited the Washington Monument? One detail rarely mentioned in Washington, DC, is that there can not be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument in the Federal District.
With all the uproar about removing the Ten Commandments or "one nation under God" or the motto "In God We Trust" from govenment property, this is worth a moment or two of your time.
On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington DC, on the east face to welcome each new day, are displayed two words: "Laus Deo". No one can see these words. Though weatherbeaten, the inscription is still there. Visitors to the monument who research it might be aware these words are there but might also miss their meaning.
These two words are 555 feet, 5.125 inches above the ground, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to our heavenly Father, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.
"Laus Deo"! Two un-noticed words. Out of sight and, one might assume, out of mind, but very meaningfully and intentionally placed at the highest point over what is the capital city in the most powerful and successful nation in the world.
So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, mean? Very simply, they translate into English, "Praise God!"
Construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States. Construction costs, design changes, politics, and economic depression caused delays. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the monument stood at a 176-foot height. Construction was thus halted in 1861 when the shaft was barely one-third completed. In the words of Mark Twain it "looked like a hollow, over-sized chimney." Construction was not resumed until 15 years later in 1876, on the eve of the centennial celebration of the Nation's founding. Engineers determined that the foundation could not support the finished obelisk so considerable foundation reinforcement construction was undertaken. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with Laus Deo . . . "Praise God!" It was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. Imagine the firestorm of controversy that, possibly, would be argued before the Supreme Court, if the Washington Monument were being capped with Laus Deo in 1988, a century later!
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may climb steps to the observation deck and take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with it's division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant. With time it became a cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial with its inscribed Declaration of Independence is to the south, the Capitol is at the foot of the cross to the east and the Lincoln Memorial with its inscribed Emancipation Proclamation is to the west. The original plan called for an equestrian statue of George Washington. But Congress wanted a grander memorial. When the original site for the Washington Monument centered in the cross proved too marshy to support the planned obelisk, it was moved 100 yards southeast. Even so, near the heart of the cross is Laus Deo, "Praise God".
A cross you ask? Really? Why not a five-point star? What about separation of church and state? Separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution clearly legislated religious freedom by denying government the right to establish a national religion. So it's probably faulty legal logic to determine that a display on government property that may have religious meaning within the culture of the populace is equivalent to establishing, by tacit approval of Congress, a national religion. Constitutional or no, there is carved into the heart of our nation's capital a cross.
Praise God! But there's more. As one climbs the 898 steps to the top of the Washington Monument and pauses at one of 50 landings, the memorial stones inside share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise God! Imagine trying to install a Christian plaque inside the Washington Monument (owned and maintained by the Federal Government) today! Is there a chance these religious memorial stones may be removed sometime in the future?
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy. Such was the strength, influence and vitality of religion in America, particularly Christianity!
The Prayer below was written by George Washington at Newburgh, New York, at the close of the Revolutionary War on June 14, 1783. It was sent to the thirteen governors of the newly freed states in a "Circular Letter Addressed to the Governors of all the States on the Disbanding of the Army." Here is George Washington's prayer for America:
"I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation."
At his first inauguration, George Washington took the oath of office for the presidency on April 30, 1789. He was standing on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City with his hand on an open Bible. After his oath of office was completed, he went to deliver his inaugural address to Congress. He began:
"Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations and whose providential aide can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes; and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge.
In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States . . . "
"We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained . . ."
And concluded, ". . . since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessings may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend."
The first official act of the first President of the United States was a supplication to God. George Washington was not ashamed to acknowledge the success of the government of the United States depended upon God's grace. Laus Deo!
Are we still the nation George Washington described as "no people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States"? I believe we are. But I also believe we need to acknowledge, adore, praise and worship our Lord more than we do. If not us, then who? Or are we just "a hollow, over-sized chimney"? I do not believe it is hyperbole to suggest the future of our nation is a stake. Who will proclaim Laus Deo in the United States in 2088?
When visitors stop to read the documents and inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capital, they will easily find the signature of God. These important historical documents and inscriptions are not likely to be removed from public view anytime soon. You may forget the width and height of the obelisk or even the two Latin words "Laus Deos" themselves. But every time you see a picture of the Washington Monument that it is pointing heavenward try to remember that inscribed on top of it by authorization of the U.S. Congress is: "Praise God".
Edited and submitted by Rev. Steve Holcomb
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