Reflections

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans, and I have just been overwhelmed with the reality of the devastation that is still present even one year later. People's lives, neighborhoods, communities, churches, mosques, schools, homes, and businesses were destroyed. Whole blocks stand like ghost towns and vivid reminders of the thin line between middle and low-income families. The people who seemed to be the least affected are the more prominent and wealthy ones. The community where we stayed during our retreat was very wealthy and surrounded by Tulane and Loyola Universities. This neighborhood was operating business as usual. However, just a twenty minute ride away neighborhoods both middle class and low-income were totally destroyed.

I wonder what we as a nation can learn from the plight of New Orleans? Maybe one lesson is that we as a nation should never feel too comfortable. It would seem that 911 would have taught us that, but I guess we are a nation with a hard head so the lessons just keep right on coming. Maybe the lesson out of Hurricane Katrina is a lesson of preparedness or lack thereof. Maybe the devastation of New Orleans is a wake-up call that we as a people - African Americans - need to take heed. Maybe it is like Beyonce's song Hurricane Katrina and the broken levees are sounding a clarion call to Ring the Alarm - A clarion call for us to realize that the ever increasing problem of race and class issues in America. Maybe it is a not so subtle reminder that we must work collaboratively to sustain our own communities in times of need so that we can be better equipped to handle problems like Hurricane Katrina and the ones that allow the construction of an ineffective levee system.

The reality of the situation is that the problems in New Orleans didn't start with the hurricanes or when the levees broke. It started with the injustices that have existed for years. It started with the small catastrophes, the small problems that we face daily in our lives. It could have been the loss of a loved one or the loss of a job. It could have been the garnishment of a check or the repossession of a car. It could have been an incurable disease, the burden of depression, or like in my case the weight of debt. But God, if we pull together in the small stuff, the small problems how much more able would we be able to pull together when major catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and defective levees impact our lives?

I believe God used a personal situation in my own life just two days shy of my return from New Orleans to help make this point clear to me. And although it was an uncomfortable and difficult space for me to be in it was a place I needed to be to see His Glory in action. I believe God's message for me from the experience of New Orleans and from that personal catastrophe is that He wants us to stay connected so that He can use us to be blessings to one another.

What I have been reminded of since my return from New Orleans is that we need each other not just to help rebuild New Orleans, but we need each other to help rebuild our lives and communities. The people of New Orleans and the Gulf Region need your help, love, and prayers. Truthfully, if we are honest with ourselves we all need someone's help, someone's love, and someone's prayers. We also need to be able to provide the same type of support.

That's why it is so important for each of us to take action. Here are some ways that you can take action to help Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims:

www.blackamericaweb.com/relief
www.dscej.org

Here are some ways that you can take action to help make Baltimore a better place to live, work, and play:

www.thelearningbank.org
A Step Forward, Inc.
www.andreybundleyformayor.com
www.bcps.k12.md.us

Here are some ways that you can help make the world a better place to live:

Save Darfur
Save Darfur
World Vision

Remember, one person can make a difference and that one person is YOU! TAKE ACTION!