First, a moment of memorial -- for the thousands who died in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington four years ago today; for the thousands who have died in Iraq in the war that was "justified" by the fear spawned by those murders; and for the thousands who died and are still dying from the Katrina disasters of the last two weeks.

All these deaths were rooted in the arrogance of human beings -- some who thought through murderous terror to correct the wrongs they felt, others who thought that conquest abroad and enriching the powerful were more important

than wisdom and compassion at home.

All three events emerged from the intensifying world-wide political, economic, and environmental crisis of our generation. May the One Breathing-spirit of the world Who unifies all life bless us with the creativity and the compassion to act upon that unity, to breathe new energy into the work to heal our wounded world.

Almost forty years ago, Howard Zinn said that perhaps once a generation, some event comes like a lightning flash, lighting up realities in our society that had been there all along, but hidden in the dark.

Without that flash of light, we stumble and fall, breaking an arm upon some unseen obstacle, bruising our heads, our brains, our minds. Once the glare of truth intrudes, even for a moment, we can see where our troubles lie.

When he spoke, Vietnam was that lightning flash. It lit up truths about aspects of America that at first glance had nothing to do with the war -- like the tracking system in education (with little regard for ability, it fed some kids to death in Southeast Asia and others to cushy Wall Street jobs); the nature of university research (heavily affected by military

contracts); etc.

For us, Katrina/ New Orleans COULD become that lightning flash. Whether it does, depends on whether we consciously take on the task of "raising consciousness."

That is supposed to be what spiritual teachers do, and how spiritual practices and rituals work. To raise consciousness. To make us more self-aware.

To light up the dark places in our souls and our societies.

That applies even, or especially, in the moment of urgent relief, compassionate caring for victims, evacuees, refugees.

The dark place just lit up for us is the degree to which those who control American life have been operating in a state of ARROGANCE, rather than PRACTICAL COMPASSION. Arrogance toward the poor, toward the earth itself,

even toward the future. ("Despite explicit warnings, nothing will happen on 'our' watch. We can do as we please.")

So --- do we use the top-down corporate structures of relief that spend large amounts on their own administrative costs and that have over and over in the past missed the very people who need it the most? -- Missed the kinds of destitute and desperate people whom we usually keep in our dark places, suddenly made visible by the lightning flash of Katrina?

Or do we seek out relief agencies that are grass-roots-oriented themselves and consciously seek to serve the grass-roots -- the poor, the disempowered, the desperate?

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Shalom Center