It’s raining, really raining, not just here in New Jersey but all over the Northeast. This hurricane turned into tropical storm is just leaving us with storm surges and flooding. We are faring better than parts of Tennessee and North Carolina with a loss of life due to their flooding from what’s was left of Hurricane/Storm Fred.
The forecast warned of severe flooding from the rain, water spilling over the banks into small towns, but they were not prepared for the force of the water that broke into homes and stores. The photos of the small town of Waverly look like photos from a third world country or, for those of us with long memories, like the damage from Sandy in 2012.
Preparing for the impact of such storms will not be easy, especially as storms become more severe due to climate change. We need better planning not just to learn how to live with these storms but reducing our carbon footprint to save all of us now and for a future our children can have.
Prayer for the Day
Write a new covenant on our hearts, O God,
A covenant of justice and mercy for all people;
We acknowledge that we have not lived as we should,
Caring for the earth and all its inhabitants.
Open our minds and bring us into your presence with our inquiry,
A search for real change providing community to all.
In the name of the One who calls us to action,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
God has cared for these trees, saved them from droughts, diseases, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.
John Muir, American environmentalist (1838-1914)
People tend to focus on the here and now. The problem is, that once global warming is something that most people feel in the course of their daily lives, it will be too late to prevent much larger, catastrophic change.
Elizabeth Kolbert, American science writer
With my voice I cry to the Lord; with my voice I make supplication to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before God, and to God I tell my troubles.
When my spirit is faint, you know my way
Psalm 142: 1-3