Faith and Justice

Ryan Hamm from Relevant Magazine with Phyllis Freeman from World Vision

On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we look at how far we've come—and how much more there is to do. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. It seems like such a short time ago that we were watching the horrifying footage of suffering, destruction, looting and the disaster-within-a-disaster at the Super Dome. Because such huge catastrophes often have multi-year (or multi-decade) effects, we wanted to find out how the recovery efforts are going on the fifth anniversary of Katrina.

We talked with Phyllis Freeman, the domestic disaster director for World Vision, U.S. programs. Here’s what she had to say about New Orleans then and now, how a community rebuilds and how both government agencies and non-governmental organizations are better prepared for future disasters.

By Sarah Brubaker, Lindenwood University

I have a confession to make: I used to change the channel during child sponsorship commercials. The need was simply too overwhelming. As a high school and then college student, I didn’t have the means to support every one of them. I had heard the statistics that there were millions of starving people and millions of children without parents and millions of people dying of AIDS… and I didn’t have that many hands or dollars. I knew I could not help all of them and didn’t know where to start.

That began to change the summer I went to India.

So you just signed up to be part of the Day of Prayer and Action on October 1. Now what? Wondering what hosting this event really means—and what comes next?

We are partnering with RELEVANT Magazine and Integrity Live for a FREE concert with John Mark McMillan on Friday, August 27, with special guests Bellarive.

A young girl in Uganda cracks nuts with her mother

By Laura Dassama, Penn State University

As a child growing up in Monrovia, Liberia, I spent many afternoons cracking palm nuts to extract the kernel, which we would eat as a local snack. The process involved collecting the palm nuts after the flesh had been removed, washing them, laying them out in the sun to dry, and then smashing them with stones to get at the kernel. There was no way to know whether the kernel would be a good one or a bad one. But I spent many afternoons relentlessly cracking away, hoping that even one good kernel would be found.

That childhood routine taught me a lot about patience—and a lot about being a follower of Christ. Doing the work of Christ requires the same level of patience and hope that it took to keep cracking those palm nuts, over and over again.

By Richard Stearns, President of World Vision US

Two events last week underscore the fact that the world is a dangerous place for Christians. Ten people working for the International Assistance Mission were shot dead in Afghanistan, allegedly killed because of their faith. Then a militant group in Somalia—where World Vision has worked for 18 years—ordered us and two other Christian organizations to close down operations, claiming the groups are proselytizing. (World Vision provides aid to people regardless of their religion.)

We are partnering with RELEVANT Magazine and Integrity Live for a FREE concert with John Mark McMillan on Friday, August 27, with special guests Bellarive.

By Julie Smith, Elon University

The day after I graduated from high school, I packed my bags and went to Russia.

It was a big leap, but the truth is that service has defined my life. Spending a month working with orphans in Russia through Global Expeditions was just the logical next step—and it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I witnessed the power of prayer; I persevered in overcoming obstacles to show the love of Christ.

Even as far back as sixth grade, I had always been into service. When I eventually started college at Elon University, I automatically joined the Service Learning Community, doing projects several times a month. I joined the service team of my intervarsity chapter. As a sophomore I lead the SLC for the new freshmen. I found a great group of friends, but there was a dilemma: I was not actually enjoying the service aspect.

Volunteering had always been something I’d done, so I figured it was something I was supposed to continue in college. But in continuing service almost as a default activity, I had grown bored. I realized I was missing the point of volunteering.