Does Compassion Work?– Check New Orleans
Seems like everytime I see news from New Orleans its about a new failure or scandal. Someone who was supposed to help, but didn’t, or money that didn’t go where it was promised. It adds to all the skeptical attitudes that we already had about the post Katrina behavior in this city– no surprise we say– why should they even rebuild?
You might already be aware of the all the relief work that was provided throughout the Gulf Region by Christian Relief agencies, churches, groups of volunteers both organized and informal. There really has been a great outpouring of compassion on this city, even though the headlines don’t bear it out. The time, money and labor that has been shared by Christian people in New Orleans was offered not in the name of government or America, but compelled by the love of Christ.
We can argue about how much impact the government response made, and who was responsible for the gaffs and failures in the response– but we really should be wondering what difference all of that compassion made. We routinely send our compassion overseas in the form of commodities and outreach, but Katrina was a real test of the impact of compassion in America. Do the sacrifical investments made by Christians and their organizations make a difference– do they result in changed lives? Does compassion tied to relational message of faith create community transformation?
Katrina has another story to tell– one you won’t hear on the news– its a place where the all the compassionate relief is beginning to bear fruit. This week, I had the privelege of joining of group of relief workers as they joined with community members for another kind of aid meeting– the kind of aid that comes from the ministry of scripture and the unburdening that results from gathered prayer. This was group from every socio economic and racial group, young, old, experienced in faith, and those just baptised last week. A real sense of hunger, thankfulness and honest was the reality of this new group. They all had one thing in common, beside their faith. They had each been personally encouraged by a believing relief working, laboring along side them with the resources provided by churches from across the nation, and standing with them as they rebuilt their lives. Now that many are returning to their homes, and continuing to rebuild their lives, compassion is bearing fruit.
Its not just harvest time with the group that I met with, its happening in the work of church planters across the city, working in communities where 2 years ago racial tension was palpable and Christians didn’t mix across denominiations. Its a new season in New Orleans, shifting from relief to harvest. And there is a new corps of workers– church planting teams, relief workers now turning to spiritual nurture. Does compassion work?… sure looks like it to me.
Even as we look at a new tragedy in California, we must understand that the Gulf Coast work isn’t done, and if the resources that were invested will yield their greatest harvest, we cannot fail to now support these church planters, christian counselors, and children’s workers who have taken up new posts to revive a city spiritually. The relief work has laid a foundation that can lead to permanent transformation– we should rejoice and support the next waive of evangelism and discipleship.
If you want to invest in this season of harvest with volunteers or other resources, you can support multiple church planters through Building Better Communities, a group originally started as a part of a church planter, that shifted to Katrinia relief and that has been here throughout the season of relief. They are now helping establish new churches, house churches and ministries expressions that help this community make the connection between compassion and faith. Email us at info@compassionbydesign.org if you would like to support the harvest in New Orleans.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
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