WHY

Why. The question many are hopelessly mulling as they try to get their minds around why God would allow such a disaster in the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina.

Many feel that Katrina was an act of God's holiness. An act of God pouring out His wrath upon a crooked and perverse people.

While I am not one to judge God's intentions, I believe Katrina certainly may have been a display of God's holiness and judgement. I do not feel, that I can make such a statement though, because I really do not know what God's intentions were/are with Katrina.

How dare we judge New Orleans as some have. While I agree they are a corrupt society, I believe we must first look at the log in our own eye. Why was Portland spared? Why was San Francisco spared, LA, Las Vegas, the entire nation? Some in pointing their fingers at New Orleans have boldly and confidently quoted the scriptures, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God", and "There is none righteous, no not one." It is because of scriptures such as these, that I am slow to pick on just one locality, New Orleans. "All have sinned."

We all deserve Katrina.

Are we to assume that all natural disasters, big and small, are God's wrath being poured out on the earth? When is it God's wrath, when is it just nature being nature?

I also wonder, if we believe that Katrina was in fact God's judgement upon a corrupt people, then are we wrong to come to the aid of the people? Is that in essence getting in the way of what God is trying to accomplish?

I do know that God calls us, His church, to meet the needs of those that are afflicted with suffering. I think if we are to error, we need to error on the side of being a compassionate and loving people....not judgemental.

As we look at what has happened in the Gulf states, let's continue to live committed lives of Loving God and Loving OTHERS to God.