Spiritual in New Orleans

Forgive me for taking two weeks on this issue, but from time to time I may have to because the message I'm trying to hear sometimes isn't clear.
I apologize for keeping you waiting, but it's worth it........ 

Without going deep into the issue at hand, we understand the devastation of Katrina.
And although some may even be tired of hearing news concerning the aftermath, what's spiritual is still
clear first.

This summer I had the wonderful experience of performing in New Orleans.  I saw the historic
landscapes and connected with the people. Popeye's Chicken's "Red Beans and Rice" is second to none in that place.

I performed at the "House of Blues" there in the heart of the city.  This performance happened to be just my guitar and me with about 400 people. My sister Lisa invited me to an acoustic set.

It was intimate and it was wonderful.  The city seemed to hold no fear, anticipation or gloom for what
may happen to her in the wake of a worst-case scenario concerning how she stood below sea level. She just operated as if she was any other city.  Her weaknesses were hid behind great
aesthetics, history and enjoyment.  She was an image so busy with being unique that her weaknesses lost importance. It was no secret to the lawmakers that the city had a weakness.

It just wasn't important enough to address.  Sometimes when we ignore a weakness long enough it
feels as if it's not even there anymore or that our weakness is really a strength that no one can see.
These are all "fillers" that motivate us to remain insensitive to what is really important.
...Our wholeness.....  Not our image....

We have every opportunity now to be whole and to rethink our condition even to process our fragmentation.

God loves us so much that he gives us that opportunity even though we possess the potential for destruction the very moment we lose sensitivity.  Unfortunately, if we chose not to rethink and restructure we increase the possibility of our weaknesses destroying parts of our person.

The final opportunity is when our weakness tears down our person exposing itself.  Some people may say that it is God teaching us a lesson or that we embraced too much "sin".

The truth is that our weakness exposed itself and demanded observation and reevaluation and
this time it's offering no other choice.   Now we must rebuild, we must address and we must change because going back this time to the old will mark our insanity.  

God's love is unconditional, but we must address our conditions.  Pray for the ones living. They are in the most important of crossroads.

Leon Timbo