"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." (Romans 8:18-22)
On August 26th, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, devastating cities like Rockport and Port Arthur. It arrived in Houston as a devastating tropical storm that produced massive flooding and tornados. We viewed image after image of the widespread destruction caused by a very hyperactive hurricane season in the United States and the Caribbean Islands. From Harvey to Irma to Jose to Maria, it seemed that we couldn't catch our breath before another deadly storm made landfall.
As a resident of Houston, creation’s groans ceased to be a metaphor for me and became intimate reality. For five straight days, we looked out at our city and watched our infrastructure buckle under the weight of this storm. Buildings flooded. Trees were shredded.
As a resident of Houston, creation’s groans ceased to be a metaphor for me and became intimate reality.
We lament the loss of life and property in our region. We are humbled by how small and insignificant these disasters make us feel. #HoustonStrong was a hashtag we used in our everyday conversations and updates; a word of encouragement that lifted our spirits. But if we are honest, #HoustonBroken would also have described how heavy our hearts felt as we cared for our city and tried to pick up the broken pieces of our lives.
In the days during and after the storm, we had to react and survive. The response had to be quick. Shelters popped up all over the city. People opened up their homes to strangers. Volunteers donated their time, money, and belongings. Relief was the name of the game, and acts of mercy were plentiful. Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean islands were constantly on the news and in people’s thoughts and prayers.
Two months later, the nature of the work has shifted to long-term rehabilitation and development. We ask questions about injustices in the construction of our city, or in how people access relief funds. We fight gentrification in poorer neighborhoods that were not flooded by those in middle class neighborhoods that were.
We ask questions about injustices in the construction of our city, or in how people access relief funds.
This phase is slower. There is no immediate need to react to, but constant opportunities to be proactive that must be pursued. Media attention is next to zero. The dollars raised for this portion of the work pale in comparison to the dollars raised to provide relief in the moments closest to the storm. The pain of loss and trauma linger, but thoughts and prayers are few and far between.
Maybe we do a great disservice to our acts of mercy and acts of justice when we see them as isolated endeavors. Maybe the work of restoration after such tragedies is best achieved when we see acts of mercy and justice as contiguous, connected to one another throughout the process in an unbroken and holistic sequence.
God is raising for himself sons and daughters who see that building a new house that is secure for a family is just as important as asking about the family’s spiritual and emotional health.
We are filled with a hope that does not disappoint us. God is raising for himself sons and daughters who see that building a new house that is secure for a family is just as important as asking about the family’s spiritual and emotional health. God is raising for himself sons and daughters who believe that helping the single mom who lost her job during the storm with rent is just as important as fighting to make sure employers can’t fire her for staying home during the storm. Because our world belongs to God, our loving Father is reconciling all things to himself in Jesus Christ, and renewing all things through the power of his Holy Spirit in broken vessels like us.
In the wake of the storm, God is inspiring his church to show up as an immediate balm of healing for our city and region, but also as agents of renewal and transformation of systems that are broken. We look at our human activities that make our world more susceptible to violent storms and natural disasters, and actively pursue a better way to care for creation. We have seen the sons and daughters of God being revealed!
As we work towards building capacity and sustainability in our city, please pray for the strength of the church in Houston. Pray that we would not get weary of doing good. Pray that we will seize every opportunity to share the message of hope found in the gospel of Jesus Christ; that neither hurricanes or flooding, or anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! Our God loves our city, and he is making all things new!
1. National Christian Foundation
Our churches are hiring a project coordinator, among other efforts to organize relief efforts. At the moment, many people are doing this on a volunteer basis, and I suspect at some point we will either burn out or have to get back to our regular responsibilities. This role would definitely serve our city long-term, and help the well-meaning efforts of individual churches have a significant impact long term. (Donate to fund number 2310684 to support this project.)
2. Greater Houston Community Foundation
This fund was set up by Mayor Sylvester Turner and other city officials.
3. World Renew
The unfortunate thing about being the 4th largest city in the U.S. is that Houston got most of the media coverage. However, smaller cities like Corpus Christi, Port Arthur, and Rockport that took a direct hit by the hurricane did not get as much coverage. World Renew has committed to beginning its work in these cities.
[Image: Flickr user Texas National Guard, under Creative Commons license]
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