Rabbi David Wolpe has an inspiring piece at Beliefnet, worth reading in its entirety, on “What Was Washed Away, and What Remains:”
Our tradition teaches transience. Do not think that steel and stone will last forever. Loss is ingrained in life. There is a time for everything, the author of Ecclesiastes assures us, which means that there is another time when that thing will be no more.
There is no fully satisfactory theological explanation for New Orleans. If there were, we could already have applied it to the Tsunami, or to the Iraqi stampede. Like Job, we operate without full knowledge, but in faith and awe, determined to create a better world.
We who are blessed with homes and safety can, with a few clicks of a mouse, reach out and help, using the tools God has given us. With our help, there will be another time when the present tragedy will be no more.