Be a witness of faith through action
The danger of looking at large-scale disasters from high ground is that it can make the recovery seem too big, too overwhelming. Instead, we have to take the destruction wrought by hurricanes Harvey and Irma personally, house by house. In every house is a family that wants to put their life back together.
That’s what Vicky and her 9-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, want. They live in Houston’s Harrel Park, an area that had never flooded and, yet, the waters rose to the top of the stop signs.
Sadly, the elementary school in Harrel Park, which had been busily preparing for a new year, also flooded. Since no one is sure when it will reopen, parents are being told to enroll their little ones elsewhere. Similar scenarios are playing out all over the South, and there is just so much uncertainty.
The first thing that struck me as I was ripping out drywall and trim in Aaliyah’s room a few days ago was the jumble of ruined possessions strewn on the floor: the stuffed animals, playing cards, math workbooks, a basketball. Vicky wanted us to try to save her dishes and whatever shoes we could, which we carefully did, along with a few family photos. In so many ways, I realized that these families are starting over.
“I told her that Habitat is here, and that we want to walk beside her and the other families for as long as it takes.”— Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International CEO
There is something always sad about tearing houses down instead of building them up. This makes Joanna sad, too. She is Vicky’s neighbor, and I met her while she was ripping out her walls alongside Habitat volunteers. Three years ago, Joanna, who works at a church day care, put in more than 400 sweat equity hours and purchased her own home, something that she never thought would happen.
It just doesn’t seem fair. Joanna did everything right to provide a great future for her 6-year-old son, Sebastian. And now she has lost so much — except her resolve to build back. I told her that Habitat is here, and that we want to walk beside her and the other families for as long as it takes.
I started working at Habitat when Hurricane Katrina hit. While I was in Houston, Irma was pounding Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. We have responded to many tornadoes and earthquakes and other hurricanes in between.
I can’t tell you why disasters happen. But I believe that they present a real chance for people to be a witness of faith through action. One of my favorite teachings is Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. When God says love your neighbor as yourself, Pastor Keller says, that means loving and meeting the needs of your neighbors with all of the power and fire that you employ to meet your own needs.
I have seen beautiful examples of that kind of power and fire since Harvey and Irma. I was honored to break bread the other night with Wayne Lowry, who heads up the Rio Grande Valley Habitat in the southern tip of Texas. That area, one of the most depressed in the state, had expected a direct hit from the hurricane so people had stocked up.
When the storm bypassed them, Habitat Rio Grande Valley asked on Facebook if anyone wanted to donate their supplies to communities that didn’t fare so well. Four semis have delivered water and diapers and school supplies and other essentials to cities and towns in South Texas. Donations continue to pour in.
We are still assessing the damage from Harvey and Irma, but we already know that tens and tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed. Recovery is going to be measured in years, not weeks. We easily could be overwhelmed by the amount of tearing out and building up that has to be done. We aren’t. Instead, we are keeping our focus on Vicky and Joanna and all of the families who are counting on us to help them put their lives back together. Won’t you join us?
Jonathan Reckford is chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International.