When I was a child in Hawaii I was awakened in the middle of the night by a siren. The warbling tone announced a tsunami warning. I would have just rolled over and gone back to sleep. But my parents bundled us all into the station wagon and took us to high ground - the drive-in movie theatre that was part way up the mountain. We were excited by the possibility of seeing a giant wave so we took turns watching out over the ocean, then scanning back to watch the Creature from the Black Lagoon on the giant screen in front of us. The predicted tsunami lost steam on the way from Japan and simply disappeared, but we had been able to go to a place of safety because we had heard the warning- and we owned a car. Katrina didn't peter out over the ocean. She hit land full force. As the water rose in New Orleans, the streets began to disappear. Many of those with cars drove out of town but those without personal vehicles saw their options shrink rapidly as the lake overran the town. When the street signs submerged, whole neighborhoods slipped into anonymity. It is nearly impossible to describe where people are in a city if you cannot refer to the names of the streets.

In a major disaster like Katrina, community, context and meaning break up like levees breached by a storm. Homes ceased to be homes as rising water made them uninhabitable. When the water had risen to the eaves, the buildings ceased to be recognizable even as houses. The scattered rooftops became a series of desert islands on an uncharted sea. Katrina was not the sword but the sound of the trumpet.

There are, and will be, tremendous stresses on our economy and our people. We have witnessed the intimacy of individual loss in the televised cries of a husband who felt his wife's hand slip from his as the water took her away. We have seen the break down of civility in the horror of children and old people preyed upon by gangs. Thousands of people have lost everything- they need food, water, clothing, shelter, jobs and schools.

None of us from the President to the smallest homeless child is immune from the after effects of Katrina. The storm and flood have exposed weaknesses in our disaster preparedness, further illuminated the plight of the poor, and underscored how dependent our current lifestyles are on the availability of oil. These systemic and societal issues stand like sentinels pointing to the danger that lies ahead if we do not heed their warning.

We live in an oil-based economy so the water damage in downtown New Orleans is just the first wave of challenges we will face as a nation. Twenty five per cent of our nation's oil comes from the Gulf Coast and many refineries and oil production platforms are damaged. The price of gas has already crossed three dollars a gallon and is likely to rise well beyond that. The death toll in New Orleans will also rise in the days ahead.

This is a tragedy of titanic proportions. The Gulf Coast lies in ruins, visible from space. There are miles of devastation and mountains of complex problems- one could simply sit down numb and become overwhelmed. In times of trouble the temptation is to turn away, draw apart and focus on one's own wellbeing. But such behavior would let the rising water turn us into a nation of islands. There is opportunity even in tragedy. Now while the bare foundations are exposed we need to gather our wits and remember who we are. Out of this remembered identity we can act in new ways to rebuild not just houses but better lives and a stronger nation.

The lessons this morning paint a picture of faithful living and appropriate response in the face of disaster. The image they collectively portray is a like a house built on rock that cannot be shaken by either wind or waves. Our foundation is in God's commandments.

Psalm 119 says in part "Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; I shall keep it with all my heart…Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; give me life in your ways…I will walk at liberty, because I study your commandments."

In good times and bad the commandments mark the edge of the waterfall. Accepting the gift of their limits keeps us spiritually healthy and connected to the people around us. Ignoring their warning buoys causes a person or a nation to go over the falls. For example, stealing breaks down the ties that bind us into community whether it's the looting in New Orleans or the manipulation of the books at WorldCom. Lying and bearing false witness makes trust impossible and without trust relationships cannot survive. Serving money, power or anything other than God as supreme causes us to make choices that will isolate us as surely as water rising to our rooftop. We choose whether to focus primarily on our own gain and desires or on God's will for us. We are made to be in community and true community is only possible when we strive to love our neighbors as ourselves. As Christians we need to make this love manifest in personal actions and public policies.

None of us can know how the ramifications of Katrina will unfold. But we do know the character that Christians are asked to exhibit in the face of whatever comes:

Let love be genuine, Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in the spirit, serve the Lord…
Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

We need to respond to the refugees in ways that are not only loving, but practical and effective. It is too early to send things. But the Red Cross and Episcopal Relief and Development are already on the scene, and money is needed to replenish supplies. Your credit card donation or check will become the supplies need to care for thousands. ERD's website, phone number and mailing address is available on the prayerbook and hymnal table in the back.

It is not appropriate or helpful for us to go rushing down to the Gulf Coast. But we can offer hospitality to those who have been displaced. The National Association of Episcopal Schools is acting as a clearinghouse to match up students and schools.

Dr. Legenhausen and I spoke yesterday. We will be offering sixteen places in the Academy to students whose schools were destroyed in the disaster. What other needs will they have and how might we meet them? We will keep you posted as this develops.

The challenges of caring for people who have lost everything is only the first wave of things that will need to be done. But Paul is clear about how we can move forward in the face of all things: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer."

We are not called to simply provide money for supplies or to offer places in our school but to assist in reclaiming community, context and meaning. Sometimes the disrupting force is a storm that blows in from the sea. Sometimes the storm is the conflict that arises from stresses in a country or a community. We will be dealing with both in the months ahead.

But again, we have guidance. In the Gospel according to Matthew we see the prescription for conflict among Christians. Just like the counsel of Romans and the thrust of the commandments, Matthew offers the means to build up community so as to discover God in our midst. For wherever two or three are gathered in Christ's name, He will be among them-whether it is on a rooftop, in a parking lot with a car full of hastily gathered clothes, or here in our church in the months to come. Amen.