September 5, 2005
On Hurricane Katrina and Beslan, Russia
Dear Friends,
I am finding it very difficult to separate the images and the
emotions brought to me by television and Internet this week. In
a single seven-day period, the juxtaposition of the human impact
of Hurricane Katrina with the one-year anniversary of the Beslan,
Russia, school massacre forces me to examine what these tragedies
have in common and what is our Christian response.
One year ago, Chechen rebels seized over a thousand children,
parents, and relatives on the first day of class at School #1
in Beslan. In a spasm of gunfire and explosions on September 3rd,
over 360 people were killed, mostly children, and 700 others were
wounded. It was the most horrific, organized, and focused terrorist
assault on children in our modern age of violence.
On August 28 and 29, Katrina swept ashore along the Gulf Coast
unleashing destructive forces of massive proportions. Towns leveled,
cities flooded, thousands killed, and tens of thousands of people
displaced and made refugees in our own land. Simply put, Katrina
stands as the largest natural disaster to hit America in our 229-year
history.
In Russia today, trials, recriminations, and blame for Beslan
continue to roll. How were security forces bribed, allowing the
terrorists access? Who was responsible for letting “workers”
plant weapons and munitions in the school complex during summer
repairs? Who was in charge of the military response, and why was
it so uncoordinated? Formal inquiries were launched to determine
what really happened.
Across the United States today, angry voices ask why the government
response was so slow. Didn’t FEMA have a plan? Why was the
coordination of response forces so poor? Why were budget requests
to improve the levy system surrounding New Orleans not acted upon?
Formal inquiries will be launched to determine what really happened.
In both these disasters, governments, of course, have a role
to play. But, for me, the responses of caring Christians have
had the greatest human impact. In Paul’s first letter to
the church in Corinth, he reminds his brothers and sister, “Now
you are the body of Christ…” (1 Cor: 12: 27) and each
possesses a gift that comes from the Lord. And so, as the hands
and feet of Jesus, faithful Christians respond with extraordinary
outpourings of love, care, projects, and resources.
In the aftermath of Beslan, PC(USA) leaders rapidly communicated
to our Russian Orthodox, Baptist, and Lutheran partners that the
people of Beslan and the people of Russia were in our prayers.
Through our international partners and through Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance (PDA), thousands of dollars were donated by faithful
people across our church to help alleviate the suffering of survivors.
Over the next several months, our mission co-workers in Moscow,
Donald and Laurie Marsden and Ellen and Al Smith, heard the specific
requests of our partners. Together, we tailored training sessions
for church leaders focused on “children in crisis”
and purchased medical equipment for hospitals treating the victims
of Beslan. Even as Hurricane Katrina gathered strength in the
Gulf, our conversation continued as we remembered the first anniversary
of the tragedy and reengaged partners for continued support to
those in and around the small, north Caucasus city.
In the aftermath of Katrina, tens of thousands of prayers have
been lifted to the Lord by faithful Christians in former communist
countries. Patriarch Alexei II of the Russian Orthodox Church
informed President George Bush that our nation, the victims of
the hurricane, and all who sought to help were being held in prayer.
This and other expressions of concern from our Orthodox, Baptist,
Lutheran, and Reformed partners underscore what Christian partnership
is all about: that we will pray for each other in times of need,
that we will seek ways to accompany each other both in daily living
and in crisis, and that where possible we will each be the hands
and feet of Jesus to relieve suffering when we encounter it.
Over the years, I have learned an important lesson from my colleagues
in Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. It is a lesson that holds
meaning for both Beslan, Russia, and for the Gulf Coast of the
United States. Yes, the initial response to disaster is crucial.
Providing food, shelter, and Christian nurture is vital in the
aftermath of catastrophe. But if we truly love, we will stay engaged.
If we truly love, we will seek ways to be present one year, two
years, and more beyond the catastrophe as God’s children
rebuild their lives.
In Russia and in the United States, caring Christians deliver
a message of hope for those suffering, a hope that comes from
our deep faith in our parent God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
and in the ever accompaniment of the Holy Spirit.
As a part of the body of Christ in the world today, may we use
our gifts “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)?
You may continue
to support the victims of Beslan here:
You may support
disaster relief from Hurricane Katrina here:
May the Peace of Christ be with you,
Gary Payton
Regional Liaison for Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
179, 187
Editor's note: Gary Payton deployed to the Gulf Coast on
September 6, 2005 as part of the PDA team bringing relief to victims
of Hurricane Katrina. |
