paravanes:meditations

"Oh afflicted city, lashed by storms...", Isaiah 54:11 The news I've been reading and listening to in the last few days contains numerous mentions of the fact of the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina happening in NOLA. Why is this an anniversary worth remembering? Is there something magical about the number five? I don't think so. For many of us, it doesn't seem like five years. Time passes at its own pace, not on our preference. I remember being stunned at how many people I knew and spoke with -- at that time -- seemed to believe the people in the Gulf Coast were responsible for their own experiences during and after the storm. "Why didn't they leave like they were told?" "They probably didn't know what a category five hurricane was..." "It was an evil city, with too much partying and drinking and gambling; they got what they deserved." Has it taken us five years to understand compassion? If you don't have a

In a recent conversation, this idea came up: "It's not realistic to believe in miracles, in the "forbidden fruit" of the garden of Eden, in Noah's Ark, in the Red Sea crossing, in Jonah's giant fish, in a virgin birth, in a resurrection...that sort of thing just couldn't be true." As I thought about this comment, here's what came to mind: don't we all believe in things that are not only un realistic, but sometimes unknowable? I believe in a national and international banking system I don't really understand. I'm trusting this system to maintain my money and make it available to me when I need to pay for food, housing, and transportation. The individuals who run this system work behind closed doors, and it can be difficult for me to learn their names. I can never get access to them. I believe in employers/investors who will make the right decisions when it comes to my pension or retirement funds. I'm trusting government offi