juxtaposition

While I was in Mississippi, I spent an afternoon at Borders working on my sermon. One of my favorite hobbies is people watching, and sitting in the cafe in Borders provides a great opportunity to do that very thing. While I watched the traffic flow through the Starbucks ebb and flow, I was gradually struck by the juxtaposition of where I was sitting at that time, and the place I had been working just a few hours prior.

Here at Borders, people came and went, some were studying for exams, others having a casual conversation. Obviously many people were reading books and magazines, surfing the internet. Pretty much enjoying life and all it had to offer. In general I'd peg the economic class as upper-middle class and higher. For these people, life was back to normal (if it ever wasn't) and Katrina is probably a semi-distant memory.

And yet, just a few miles away, there were houses still covered in blue tarps. Homes still so damaged the family can not live in the house. Hundreds of people and families still living in FEMA trailers. Families doing their best to wait patiently while their house is rebuilt - by volunteers, over the course of months.

This stark contrast I am sure will gently diminish over time, as more people return back to their homes and their lives. Realizing this, though, I began to wonder about the last few. As time marches on and the sense of "need to help" that many have felt since Katrina hit begins to fade, will those who are waiting for help begin to feel forgotten? Once the media no longer talks about Katrina (frankly, I can't remember the last time I heard something about Katrina on the news), once the aid organizations move on to the latest tragedy, what will become of these people?

This is just one of the many thoughts that are settling in my mind as I process the past week. I'm not sure if there are any answers to this juxtaposition, and I don't think there is really any way we can avoid it or the way we will forget those who continue to struggle. But we can strive to do what we are able to, and if we remember them, to then do something to help. Organizations like Presbyterian Disaster Assistance are still eager for people to come down and help. And, believe it or not, living in a blue pod for a week really isn't all that bad.

Back From Mississippi

We're back from Mississippi after a week of doing hurricane recovery. If you'd like to read about our trip or see some pictures of our work, you can do so by clicking here. It was a great week and we did a lot of great work. Not sure how the sermon is going to turn out tomorrow, though.

There was another surprise for me in Mississippi I haven't blogged about: As mentioned in the comments on a previous post, a girl that grew up in the same church I did is working for the Presbytery down in Mississippi, and she showed up in camp this week. It was great to get in touch with her and hear what adventures she has lived since I left GPC. May God bless you, Erin, and the work you are going to do for Him and His Kingdom.