Some of the news talking heads are trying to draw parallels between 9-11 and Katrina. Sorry guys, that dog ain'’t huntin. If one of them says, "like 9-11" to start a sentence, turn him or her off. This is NOT like 9-11!
9-11 was the result of aggression on the part of an ideology against the USA. People were unified by the act not the result. Hero'’s were easy to find. Firemen, police, Giulianini, Bush, and ordinary people.
Katrina was natural, random, and without cause against whom people could unite in their anger. Hero'’s are hard to find. Many there are who are there are not visible. Oh, there are heroes. We will see them eventually. But the ones who rose so quickly in 9-11 are absent in this event. Meanwhile the villain count is tremendous.
WHO AMERICA THINKS IT IS
9-11 changed the way the USA saw itself. Needing security. Needing to stop the evildoers. Mostly unified in its efforts. We saw ourselves as victims who would strike back at whomever were victimizing us. We saw ourselves as good people who did good things attacked by bad people who did bad things. Good and evil was easy to identify.
Katrina is also changing the way the USA sees itself. Not for good. Yes, there are good people doing good things. I won'’t mention them all here, you know who they are, Doctors, Red Cross, Salvation Army etc etc etc. But the ugly underbelly of humanity has been exposed for what it is. The looting, anarchy, violence, lawlessness of New Orleans has shocked everyone. The impotence of government, local, state and national to do anything has been dazzling. The lack of leadership has left people astounded. We are much more vulnerable to anything than we thought we are. Half the police in the New Orleans area have just quit. Our military is helpless. Oh we'’ll get it under control at some point but the damage is done. What we have seen on our TV screens is indelible.
Every state, every large city has these cesspools of human debris who at the drop of a metaphorical disaster hat will now replicate what we have seen in New Orleans. Permission has now been granted. Go ahead, they can'’t stop you. I am more than a little concerned that the fallout from this will be increased anarchy and lawlessness. Up until now at least they believed there could be consequences. There isn't. Barney Fife has left the building.
SPIRITUAL DIFFERENCES
9-11 spiritual spurt. For a few weeks after 9-11 there was some modicum of spiritual activity. People went to church other then on Easter or Christmas. It didn'’t last. In 6 month the pews were back to their less then capacity occupancy.
Katrina has demonstrated the total fallen nature of man. We sin because we are sinners in need of saving. Jobs won'’t solve this, welfare doesn'’t solve this. CHURCH --- The whistle has blown. The game is ON. The line is drawn. You are either going to get in the game or be sidelined as useless. This is the day you prayed for. ""Lord, give us the chance to be your arm, to reach out to the world"". Well, guess what, it just happened. I am heartened to see and hear of many small, medium and large churches in LA, MS, MO, AR and TX taking on the task of sponsoring these refugees in their Church buildings, taking them under their wings, educating their kids, helping them find places to live and talking to them about a better life in Jesus. CHURCH --- Don'’t just pray, you are a part of the answer to every prayer you pray. If all you plan to do is pray and sit on your blessed assurance, please don'’t BOTHER, it'’s taking the Lord'’s name in vain. If all you can do is pray (by reason of infirmity) then please do. God'’s arm moves in response to prayer but his hand is US. This line in the sand will result in tremendous victory for those bold enough to take it. Every Church can do SOMETHING. We have a responsibility to our culture and to our God to restore the fallen spiritually and physically so this kind of descent into chaos never happens again. Church, you have prayed for God to send you sinners in need of a savior. You will never have this chance again. This is Romans 8:28 alive and well. He wants to take this evil and make it for good. There are hundreds of thousands ready to see the gospel lived out in your actions. Hut Hut Hut, You'’ve got the ball, now what you gonna do with it?
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