My Heart Breaks for the Gulf Coast

My heart breaks for the Gulf Coast. I have loved the Gulf coast from my childhood. I have spent time on the Southern Florida Gulf coast as a child. I grew up on its nature coast. As an adult I learned to love the Panhandle of the Gulf Coast. My heart breaks with this oil spill, because of the devastation it has already caused and that it will cause for generations to come.

I read an article today about long term effects from the oil spill of the Valdez in Alaska. One of the heart rendering aspects of the article was what happened in the town of Cordova; Jones' group commissioned studies to see how the spill affected people in small communities where fishing gives people their identity. Cordova was probably the most painful example because its fishing industry was hurt so much by the spill.

"The community exhibited every kind of social stress you can imagine," Jones said. "Alcoholism went up. Suicide went up. Family violence went up. Divorces went up. Of course, bankruptcies and various kinds of financial failures went up with the attendant stress on families."

I want to run down there and fix it. I want BP to fix it. I want somebody to fix it. And if Alaska since has a whole manual written on how to handle a disaster like this and whole team on standby, why don't they call in those people to be involved.
It looks like it will be a long time coming and it may never be fixed, so I thought I would write a prayer.


Oh God,
For those who died on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig,
receive them into your care, comfort and protect their families.

For the sea where oil has already poured forth,
protect it's creatures, it's ocean floor, it's very life.

For the fishermen who make their living by the sea,
watch over them as they anxiously await what is to come.

For families whose lively hood and well being is in its path,
provide the needs and sustain them.

For your very creation bring forth your breath of life
and your creation's powers to heal and restore.

For those trying to stop the oil and clean it up;
Give them the wisdom, the strength and the resources they will need.

For those who are responsible hold them accountable and inspire them to do
everything within their power to do what is right.

And for those of us who can't live without oil,
once again you speak to us; may we now listen, see and learn
to change our ways to live.
Amen