The claws of Katrina

Katrina has clawed her mark on Biloxi, Mississippi.

Today, I was driving through Biloxi, near the beach, and as I looked all around at the houses that were no longer livable, as well as the many other signs of Katrina's warpath, the understanding of the forces that caused the damage came to my mind in a very clear and strange way.

I recognized that the two most indispensable, life-giving elements of the earth are also the two most destructible forces--air and water.

Just like parents, these two life-givers have the ability to nurture, feed, and develop, as well as serve as the most destructible influences ever encountered.

Those affected by Katrina live with tormenting memories of pain and loss. Just like the devastated neighborhoods of Biloxi, they will never completely forget the misery that forged its fury in their eyes; its slouch in their shoulders; its scars on their bodies; its trenches in their spirits.

For those who don't have the resources, tools, and support to recover, the damage will never be repaired; much of it will survive as a haunting memory; very little will find its way out of their minds.

Restoration is required, encouragement is essential, and the need for hope is immeasurable for those who have experienced the claws of Katrina.

Grace and peace,
Johnny