Thursday, May 27, 2010

Disaster in the Gulf

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.


Change of plans…instead of highlighting Mexico City’s interesting spots, I have to vent about the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe writing about it will provide some sort of relief from the heartbreak…but I doubt it.

My memories of diving in the Gulf are almost dreamlike – crystalline waters, amazing plants and creatures that look otherworldly, fish in brilliant colors and patterns, hand-painted by God himself. I can picture the fragile coral reefs that developed over decades, teaming with creatures of all sizes and shapes, darting into crevices, gliding in and out of sun-dappled seagrass. From beneath the Gulf’s blue waves I have been blessed with the opportunity to see sharks, dolphins, stingrays and giant sea turtles. From above, snow-white egrets and roseate spoonbills were among the beautiful birds gracing the air and shoreline.

And now this.

The images are killing me. Black-coated birds that will never recover, miles and miles of Louisiana wetlands coated in the deadly slime, closed beaches. To date, there have been well over 300 dead birds, 200 sea turtles and at least 20 dolphins, but we all know these numbers are nothing compared to what is to come. The oil from the BP well has been gushing, day and night, for over five weeks now. Like a cloud of death, it spreads out over the water, blackening and destroying everything in its path. Clean-up efforts have taken the noxious mess to a higher level by using tons of toxic chemicals that are jacking up the death toll. All we need now is a storm or, worse, a hurricane.

No word yet on whether yesterday’s effort to plug it with a mud and cement is working. We’re supposed to hear something by tomorrow. Some may say it’s in God’s hands now, but I disagree. When it was in God’s hands, the Gulf of Mexico was amazing, beautiful, breathtaking. I can’t help but wonder if it will ever be that way again. Certainly not in my lifetime.

Lord, I pray for a miracle. Only You know what is needed now. Only You have the power to make it happen. Only You can extend the grace we need, for no one could ever possibly atone for this devastation. Please give powerful guidance to all those in charge, those working to seal up the uncapped well, and everyone involved in the clean-up. I pray that all will work together, instead of pointing fingers, and that, impossible as it seems, something good will come from this horrendous disaster. Amen.

1 comment:

  1. I think we need a miracle, just read that the plugging didn't work. God Bless all their efforts.

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