Deep Waters: A Spiritual Response to Hurricane Katrina

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How to handle losing everything? No words will suffice. Yet Buddhist wisdom reminds us here again about impermanence and evanescence, and the benefits of being able to let go, patiently forbear and accept. One of the prime virtues of adversity is to take this naked moment to reflect upon what really matters and is most important in life, and learn to balance our grief, fear, anger, and loss with appreciation for the fact that we are alive at all. Let's realize that the most important thing, ultimately, cannot be lost; and that it is incumbent upon each of us to find and cleave to that, however we may conceive of it, beyond life and death.

The Prophet Muhammad taught that among those receiving Divine grace are all who die by drowning, in an earthquake, in a fire, plague or epidemic, from a stomach disease, including women who die in childbirth. All these souls are considered to have witnessed the Truth, thus they receive a heavenly rank.

But God anticipates our next question pertaining to the survivors of such calamity and hastens to remind us: "We shall certainly test you by some [combination] of fear, hunger, loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labor's] fruits.but assure those who are patient in adversity, who when calamity befalls them assert `Certainly we belong to God and surely we are returning to Him [inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji`un]. Upon these shall flow their Lord's Prayers and Mercy; for they are the guided.'" This explains Muslims' urging their co-religionists touched by calamity to express patience [sabr]...

Like college exams, we go through divine tests to achieve the rewards that accrue from doing well on them: Thus the spiritual tests facing the survivors and the rest of us include: how will we respond? Will we be angry with God? Or will we be grateful for the ultimate grace God has promised those taken into His mercy? And how will we contend with our fear, hunger, loss of worldly goods and of the fruit of our life-work? Can we remain steadfast in the face of adversity? Will we act in accordance with the best of what it means to be human: doing good, being compassionate and supportive to those who need our help?

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have left us stunned and speechless, to the point that there is little of comfort that we can say, other than the three simple words that characterize so much of the Orthodox Church's worship: "Lord, have mercy."

Have mercy on those who lost their homes, their jobs, their possessions, and their loved ones. Have mercy on those who are in danger of losing their hope as well.

Have mercy on those who, laying aside their own losses, have reached out to others, have rescued the elderly and infirm and infants, the "least of the brethren" and the poor and the vulnerable. Have mercy on those who, in the face of human tragedy, have acted in less than humane ways.

Have mercy on those share what little they have with those who have been left with less. Have mercy on those who, while not directly affected by the disaster, display empathy, offer prayers, and share their blessings. And have mercy on those whose hearts are hardened or who are indifferent, relieved that they had been spared while failing to relieve the suffering of others. Again, let us say, "Lord, have mercy!"

Saint Christopher,

who bore the Christ across the waters,

deliver us from the waters of this flood.

Good Saint Anthony, Patron of the lost,

lead all who are stranded or homeless

back to those who love them.

Notre Dame de Bon Secours,

patron of New Orleans,

be with those who suffer so greatly.

Good Saint Joseph, patron of Baton Rouge,

comfort those who have lost the ones they loved,

and bring them peace.

Lord Jesus Christ,

who descended into hell, and rose again,

raise up all who are fallen, broken or alone.

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