Gulf Coast: Two Years Later

Today marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. To read and watch the news stories today is to hear the all too familiar account of failed relief and continuing devastation. Cities remain depopulated and unrepaired. Lives remain shattered and broken.

As our nation and the world pause to remember the tragedies of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (which for me, at least, always brings to mind countless other tragedies that continue to happen), we should pray. We should pray for those whose lives have forever been changed by these storms and their aftermaths. We should pray for those who are in positions of power and have the capacity to sustain recovery and prevent future disasters like this. We should pray for the countless volunteers who have given selflessly of their time, talents, and resources to help those in need.

I will be co-leading Fourth Church's next trip to New Orleans, December 29-January 5, and I'm hoping to recruit several of our current college students and other Fourth Church Youth alums to join us. We've also talked about the possibility of bringing next year's Senior High WorkCamp down to the Gulf Coast. I'm excited about these opportunities and look forward to participating in God's work with our brothers and sisters down south.