Katrina — an opportunity to listen

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303

By JOHN HATCHER
Contributing Writer

“Be good to me, God — and now! I’ve run to you for dear life. I’m hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over. I call out to High God, the God who holds me together” (Psalm 1:1- The Message Bible).

This may be the time for the government and everyone else to acknowledge this one fact: unless the Lord keeps the city, everything else done will be in vain. No amount of troops, police, or aid workers can hold this nation together. New Orleans is prime real-estate for the real truth: America needs God.

I can’t help but wonder how things could have been different in the Superdome if the people had been rallied by the preaching of the Word of God and the singing of great hymns. Surely, no substitute for food and drink, but it just might have been balm for the souls of tens of thousands.

New York’s 9/11 was considered by many as the needed wake up call for America to get its national house in order. Many Christian leaders were hoping that a noted spike in church attendance was a positive indicator that America was not moving more to the right or left, but moving closer to God.

Not so. Attendance and interest in spiritual things declined to a level below the days before 9/11.

Truly these are days of absolute compassion for the hundreds of thousands who have lost it all. Even now America will be judged on how we treat the unfortunate. And since a child born on the Gulf Coast had nothing to do with being born there, how we treat that child and his parents will speak of our character as a nation and as individuals. What kind of medical care we provide will tell of our integrity. The speed to which we return children to their schools will indicate true compassion.

And, the blame game can last only so long. It’s good for political fodder for a season. But, there’s a deeper question which must be addressed by thoughtful people: what changes should we be making as a nation? Why would a distraught city like New Orleans be terrorized by its own citizenry with guns? What was wrong in New Orleans that a hurricane blew the top off of it?

God’s Word contains a promise: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). It does not say, “Everything will work out.” It says that God works good stuff specifically for people who love God and are in business with his purposes.

I don’t believe God appointed Katrina for the Gulf Coast. But I do believe God would want us to take this as an opportunity to listen to him as never before and get things right that we have been ignoring. Personally, if we keep depending upon ourselves and our systems of rescue, I don’t believe we will hold together. I believe there’s enough toxicity in our land to do us in.

But God is greater than any toxin and we need his help. I for one plan to hide out under his wings until it is over.