How do you think they did this through famines, wars, financial crashes, displacement? My family was, on one side, travelers on the Oregon Trail. One cannot imagine that journey and the hardships of going west.
My great-grandmother, at 18, came over from Bratislava to Iowa by herself in the late 1880s. Brave girl.
We who are paying attention know that we are facing perhaps one of the most terrible upheavals of civilization for centuries.
We hardly know how to compare wars or the separation of families, or the complete fall of empires, nations, countries which have existed for some time.
St. Augustine saw chaos and wrote about the great fall of the Roman Empire. That empire had lasted almost 504 years. Can you imagine the distress of the people of that time, seeing what seemed eternal burning and being destroyed?
Prosperous cities of northern Africa completely disappeared after the destruction by the Vandals. Where there were villas, gardens, libraries, markets, circuses, now there is only sand.
One is left imagining the destruction of a civilization which formed Europe.
We have no idea of the wealth of knowledge that was lost from the destruction of libraries and the art work destroyed by barbarians, who had no eye for beauty.
What is it in people which allows them to withstand chaos, war, disasters?
I worked in Mississippi for a short while, for four months, a year after Katrina. I wish I had my photos on this computer to show you the devastation even after one year. I went down to help after one of the greatest disasters to ever hit the States. It was a humbling experience, and I am grateful for the chance to have been there to this day.
The scenes were indescribable. But, what was amazing were the people of Bay St. Louis. They were helping each other in a real sense of community. Many were Christians, Catholics, but many were not.
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| Destroyed St. Louis Bay Bridge |
The first was hope for the future; an inner strength gave them hope. These people had a core of being rooted in their own characters which connected to their minds, heart, souls the virtue of hope.
The second was love, not only for themselves, but for each other. Those who began to build loved the land, the heritage, their spouses, their community.
Not everyone survived well. I saw depression, illnesses brought on by depression, grief which lasted too long.
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| Notice no houses in Waveland and Bay St. Louis here |
But, for me, the symbol of resilience was a couple I met whose baby was born almost nine months after Katrina.
God loves life and gives hope. But, we must have each other as well to carry on.
Build community now. Find that inner core of being. Have hope and nurture love.
Those may be the only things you will have to get you through the hard times ahead.
For months, I heard the new bridge seen below being built. I heard the new pylons being pushed into the sea bed. When I was there, the shrimp fishers were finally allowed out into the Bay to start up their businesses again. Just to see the boats in the bay at night with the lights flickering in the dark brought hope.
Hope and renewal overcame grief and despair.
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| A renewed coffee house and cafe |
I became very ill with three different things and had to leave. A year later, my son and I drove back to visit my friends in New Orleans and in Bay St. Louis. We went over the newly opened bridge.
I shall never forget that day. I have always loved Walker Percy and as we flew over the new bridge in my PT Cruiser, I sensed the love of the South and the love of God buried in his novels, emerging out of sadness, sin, despair.
When I was there, the storm had uncovered ruins from prehistoric tribes. I walked over around those ruins which were to be covered up again by new buildings. I took photos of the site. Men and women from thousands of years ago showed us a glimpse of their lives because of a storm. God has planted within us the drive to live and to love.
Humans are resilient. But, we need grace. We need the virtues.
God gives us grace. Use it.
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| The sound of the new bridge being built will be with me for a long time |
