Pastor's Note

A SENSE OF PLACE
September 24th, 2006

One of the women I met in South Louisiana last week is Theresa. A native American, she is a member of the Houma tribe. Her ancestors have lived in the bayous for generations. Leaving there would be akin to renouncing her entire heritage.
Along with her husband and other kin, Theresa is a “shrimper” and “crabber.” They fish for shrimp, trap crab, and sell what they can to the market. It’s a way of life.
Until very recently, most of the residents of that area did not consider a hurricane a disaster. It was a just a nuisance that sometimes meant leaving home for a while, doing some clean-up, or even rebuilding. That, too, has been part of their lives. Hurricane Rita, however, flooded them beyond past experiences. And as much of the protective marsh has disappeared, the effects of hurricanes become greater.
Nevertheless, the bayous are where they the Houma tribe lives. It is home, and they are part of it. They share the land with Cajuns, the gators, and lots of wildlife.
Many of us who have moved often or have lived in cities don’t have that same loyalty to the land that these people have. In fact, we sometimes misunderstand it and think of them as being stubborn. Instead, leaving there would be like telling a catfish to fly. (They have catfish down there, too.)
Maybe we should all have such a connection with the place on which we live. The earth sustains us; we need to take care of it.