a week in New Orleans

I returned from New Orleans a few days ago after a week-long trip with the fellows and RUF, one of the Christian fellowship groups at UVa. It was my first time going, so I was excited to finally have the opportunity to see the city.

The day after we arrived we went to the service at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, followed by a potluck lunch to which the whole church was invited. This was typical for them - meals and drinks and good company not only after church but throughout the week. We went to another potluck dinner the night before we left. But that Sunday after we ate, a few of us sat with the pastor Ray Cannata, who told story after story of the past three years in New Orleans.

As Ray was talking, one thing that he said left a significant impression on me. He said that New Orleans is a special place because it paints a bleak picture of the Fall, of brokenness, but at the same time offers a beautiful picture of hope and redemption. The people of New Orleans are continually reminded of the brokenness because most people know someone who died. In the lower 9th Ward the houses are barely touched. The FEMA trailers are going to be taken away soon, leaving people without homes. But even amidst the devastation, there is a sense of community and hope. The people are aware of each other, and of their need for each other, and they take the time to enjoy one another's company. And the rebuilding efforts have fostered a sense of community and working together. The people know that New Orleans will probably not be rebuilt for another 20 years, but they still hope and work for it. (This is all what Ray was saying).

It was encouraging to hear that churches represent 80-90% of the rebuilding efforts. This is a comforting reminder when I start to wonder if the Church cares about restoration and redemption and rebuilding communities. This proves that it does. I of course was self-conscious of going down for a week without really knowing about the situation, taking picture after picture on a voyeuristic drive-by relief vacation. But the people were so welcoming! They wouldn't stop thanking us for coming. It was amazing because they get a rebuilding group from out of town just about every week.

A few more details: We stayed at Camp Hope, which is a dormitory-style camp that houses about 800 people, packed into rooms on cots, with cold showers. We began building a house with habitat for humanity. Our project leader was a guy named Mike who used to be a film student at USC where one of my close friends from Cape Town, Walter Glass, was a student. And He knew him!! Small world. We got to go down to the French Quarter, and we went to Bourbon St. and Frenchman St. to see some great music! I love the music, art, and food in NOLA. It's all interesting - every store and restaurant.

When we were returning we were thinking about how we can make the trip valuable beyond one mere week of visiting. We were thinking about how we might take NOLA home with us. One thing that Ray mentioned was that brokenness and hope is everywhere - it was in New Orleans before Katrina - but what Katrina did was expose it. Brokenness and hope is everywhere, it's just harder to see in other places like Charlottesville. So one thing that I hope to take away is the truth that New Orleans revealed, that this world is a fallen place. But amidst that fallenness, when we work together there is hope - not sentimentality, but a hope where people are appreciating and serving each other and things are actually changing.

If there's any way to put pictures up on this, I'll try to do that.