Ash Wednesday
The revelry is over. It's Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. Christians use this part of the canonical year to abstain from a worldy luxury or desire in an attempt at purification. For most Christians who practice a Lenten discipline, abstinence is usually something simple: refraining from alcohol, or chocolate, or meat on Fridays. Self-flagellation is not required, just a giving up of something as an act of sacrifice. One year I gave up suffering fools gladly, the result of which was a lowering of my blood pressure and a reduction in my tendency towards passive-agressive behavior.
The thing about all of this abstinence or discipline is that it is consciously chosen, and the sacrifice is temporally limited: Lent is only 40 days long. Gulf Coast natives, including those who lived and worked in New Orleans, must be viewing this season with a wary eye. Many still don't have a stable residence or a job or a reliable source of food. Whole neighborhoods have been destroyed and the debris, six months later, is still not cleared away. Two thousand people are still listed as missing, and family and friends have no idea what the status of the missing is. Most importantly, this suffering is not going to end in 40 days.
The Washington Post notes the problems that still remain (and have remained unchanged since Hurricane Katrina made landfall) and the challenges that face a population, however good its intentions, not known for its lengthy attention span.
In the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina, many Americans were enthusiastic about helping Gulf Coast evacuees and rebuilding New Orleans. In the months since, indifference has grown. Charities that collected $3 billion after the storm find that they are now unable to meet the demands of the hundreds of thousands of remaining homeless. A Post article ["Two-Thirds of Katrina Donations Exhausted"] reported Monday that charities are still "swamped" by a disaster that will require many more years, and many more dollars, to repair. Many Gulf Coast residents, national politicians and ordinary Americans have all, at times, been tempted to give up the struggle to rebuild, and to move on -- elsewhere.
There is still so much to do that it feels overwhelming. Maybe this year Christians should use Lent as a time for positive action. They could call each member of their Congressional delegation and insist that the Baker Plan be implemented. They could contribute the money they saved from not having that daily double latte to a charitable organization that is on the ground in New Orleans trying to put the city and its people back together.
They, and you, could also go to Scout Prime's New Orleans blog to see just how bad things are and what needs to be done.
The thing about all of this abstinence or discipline is that it is consciously chosen, and the sacrifice is temporally limited: Lent is only 40 days long. Gulf Coast natives, including those who lived and worked in New Orleans, must be viewing this season with a wary eye. Many still don't have a stable residence or a job or a reliable source of food. Whole neighborhoods have been destroyed and the debris, six months later, is still not cleared away. Two thousand people are still listed as missing, and family and friends have no idea what the status of the missing is. Most importantly, this suffering is not going to end in 40 days.
The Washington Post notes the problems that still remain (and have remained unchanged since Hurricane Katrina made landfall) and the challenges that face a population, however good its intentions, not known for its lengthy attention span.
In the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina, many Americans were enthusiastic about helping Gulf Coast evacuees and rebuilding New Orleans. In the months since, indifference has grown. Charities that collected $3 billion after the storm find that they are now unable to meet the demands of the hundreds of thousands of remaining homeless. A Post article ["Two-Thirds of Katrina Donations Exhausted"] reported Monday that charities are still "swamped" by a disaster that will require many more years, and many more dollars, to repair. Many Gulf Coast residents, national politicians and ordinary Americans have all, at times, been tempted to give up the struggle to rebuild, and to move on -- elsewhere.
There is still so much to do that it feels overwhelming. Maybe this year Christians should use Lent as a time for positive action. They could call each member of their Congressional delegation and insist that the Baker Plan be implemented. They could contribute the money they saved from not having that daily double latte to a charitable organization that is on the ground in New Orleans trying to put the city and its people back together.
They, and you, could also go to Scout Prime's New Orleans blog to see just how bad things are and what needs to be done.
posted by Diane at 4:27 AM
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