The Beginning of the End?

Surprisingly, I'm not talking eschatology, which never held much interest to me. THE end will come, the day and hour unknown, but I am not one to speculate about things not meant to be fully understood. No, the end I'm speaking of is much more earthly and local. I suspect that it will likely be the beginning of the ends, though some of those beginnings began long before August 29th. I have been thinking about this post for a while now and I'm still not sure it is fully baked, but perhaps it will never be until I type it out.

By this time, you must realize that I am speaking of Katrina, the destruction of New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast. The cost in human life and property is enormous. These immediate losses are impossible to even contemplate. The emotional toll is overwhelming and I sit at home far away wanting to help, but helpless to do so. To that end, of course, we can donate money - Northwest Medical Teams is at work there as is Mercy Corps and I am proud to have such fine organizations in my home town. The Red Cross is also a great place to contribute.

Prayer, while less visceral, is very much in need and while I don't claim to understand it, I do know there is power in our intercession and petitions. I don't think that is all we should do, but I think it is the first thing. If all we do starts with prayer, we at least know we are pointed in the right direction when we begin even if we deviate after that (which is why it must be a constant thing.)

What concerns me more than all the immediate needs and loss, however, is what comes after. The economic repercussions of this storm are only beginning to be felt, but I suspect the ripples will intensify as various confluences come together to cause a rapid metamorphosis in what we know as modern America.

New Orleans and the Gulf Coast were not only responsible for upwards of 25% of our energy production, they were also a major shipping port. It will be well over a year before the oil rigs, pipelines, administration and human power will be able to reach its former capacity (if it ever does.) It will take at least a couple of months before New Orleans is habitable and then, who will return? Even when the job of sorting out all the oil infrastructure can begin, will there be anyone to do the work? There may be, but this tragedy strikes me as one that is much more cataclysmic then is being reported. I haven't even figured in the refinery losses.

Oil aside - and oil is big - there is also the concern about the ports. Things coming in to New Orleans now aren't. They can certainly be rerouted, but the expense will be big. This means those things will become more expensive. I could joke about coffee, but this is a major industry and the price of coffee just got higher. Worse than imports, perhaps, is exports. Most Midwest grain was shipped out of New Orleans. That grain is now staying in the country which means oversupply and a rapid price drop. Perhaps this is good for consumers, but the growers are now faced with a severe drop in expected income. Grain and coffee weren't the only things traveling through these ports (did I mention oil), but they are representative.

Another aspect of this event is human migration. Houston just grew by tens of thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands have left New Orleans. I don't know what the numbers are for Biloxi, Mobile and all the other towns hardest hit by the storm. Property in Baton Rouge is being snatched up by those who can afford it at inflated prices. I don't know what this kind of migration does to places, but it seems that such a sudden shock is more likely to cause difficulties than ease (labor markets? Social services? Housing?)

I'm not writing a doomsday scenario. I don't think we will descend into apocalypse - although some of the reports from New Orleans do make me wonder. What I am hopeful for is that this will push us to look deeper, examine ourselves, our country, our communities. It took Job great calamity before he could proclaim of God, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you." Perhaps in the coming months we will grow less comfortable, we will be forced to confront what is truly important, perhaps we will have a moment of enlightenment.

We had a previous opportunity recently. The September 11 terrorist attacks certainly gave us pause, but I think that opportunity was squandered. Momentary unity gave way to extreme divisiveness, justice was overwhelmed by revenge, hope succumbed to fear. This time could be different, although the early signs are less than promising. Already there is finger-pointing, blame shifting and political opportunism. I don't want someone to blame, I want someone to help. I don't want to hear accusation, I want to see action. The voices of this country need to speak faith, hope and love because if they don't the problems will only be exacerbated.

The words of Isaiah in the 1st and 2nd chapters seem even more prescient, and the call never clearer - "learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Micah, too, has words of wisdom for us: "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." In the end, we will not be judged by how powerful our military is or how strong our economy, but whether we were just, righteous and humble. Finally, Christ has reminds us of where provision comes, "[S]eek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."