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In preparing to write these Getting Ready Materials, I
attended a three-day planning summit in New Orleans with a group of
people from throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
including a dozen very articulate high school youth. I spent the weekend
listening to these young people describe their hopes for the 2009 ELCA
Youth Gathering in New Orleans. They talked about growing in their faith
and growing closer to other youth who shared similar values. They
described a sincere hope of experiencing a deeper connection to the
larger church and to New Orleans. Almost unanimously, they spoke about
wanting to see a rebuilt New Orleans as we pull out of town at the end
of the Gathering. They wanted to leave there knowing that every person
in New Orleans had a safe place to call home. Without a doubt, our young
people are compassionate and desire justice.
I met a dozen or so residents during my three days in
New Orleans. These were the people bussing my table at lunch, walking
next to me along the sidewalk, and sharing a cab or a hotel elevator. I
told them we’d be bringing 36,000 people down here for our ELCA Youth
Gathering in July of 2009, and I asked them to tell me what they thought
we could do to be most helpful and less intrusive. From what seemed to
be some mysterious source of collective wisdom, almost as though they
had gotten everyone in the city together to rehearse this answer, I
heard each of them respond, “Come and meet the people. Listen to our
stories. Hear about what happened down here. Then, take those stories
home with you and don’t let people forget about New Orleans.”
They were not asking us to rebuild the city, to
challenge corrupt political powers, or to make significant financial
donations. They were asking us to listen. They were asking us to hear
their stories, to sit with them as fellow human beings in the midst of
their suffering. Listen. Go. Tell. Do not forget. This is the
challenge that is placed before us as we prepare to enter New Orleans.
This is the challenge that is before us each day as we live as God’s
redeemed people.
There are many ways to begin listening to New Orleans.
Here are a few ideas:
- If you have someone in your congregation or
neighborhood from New Orleans, ask them to speak with your group.
- Consider showing the film
New
Orleans, produced by PBS as part of their American Experience
Series.
- Show the film
When
the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts by Spike Lee. Please
note this film has graphic visuals and language. You will want to
thoroughly preview any segments before showing it to your youth.
- Explore
The
Neighborhood Story Project as neighborhoods in New Orleans are
helped to write their own stories and histories. (Buy one of their
books for your group, they are fascinating. You can buy all 7 for
only $100!)
- Download and listen to one of the stories at the
Katrina
Stories Project Web site. Again, be sure to prescreen anything
you play for your group to make sure it is appropriate.
- The
New Orleans Kid
Camera Project has some great photographs and videos taken by
kids that help them tell their stories.
We will serve our brothers and sisters in New Orleans
by hearing their stories, getting to know them, compassionately working
for justice with them, and remembering them as we return home. This
month’s lesson will help your group understand how God has called them
to the vocation of faithful listeners and compassionate doers of
justice.
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