Published on 09/25/2006

There's only one Foundation which withstands every hurricane, only one Refuge you can trust in every storm. It's not safe to step into your Monday until you've stepped into his shelter.

Commentary

The World's Fair came to Seattle in 1962, leaving the famous Space Needle and the equally famous Seattle Center Monorail. But according to today's New York Times, things are not well for the latter. In 2004, an electrical fire sent eight people to the hospital with smoke inhalation. Last fall, two trains collided. Last month, 200 passengers were suspended for 40 minutes. Now the city council must decide whether to spend $4.5 million to fix the venerable system.

Meanwhile, according to reports another 60's era icon is returning to life tonight. The Louisiana Superdome was built in 1968. It has been the site of the Republican National Convention and numerous other national gatherings. Alas, its Saints have won but a single playoff game in their history. Some seasons, their "fans" have taken to wearing paper bags over their heads and calling their team the "Ain'ts."

All that changed on August 29, 2005, when Katrina's winds tore off part of the Superdome's roof and took out most of its power. Refugees from all over the region converged on the stadium anyway. One man apparently committed suicide by jumping from a catwalk. Bodies were stored in stadium refrigerators. The Superdome became a symbol of the misery left in the hurricane's wake.

After a year-long construction effort which cost $185 million, tonight the stadium hosts a Monday Night Football game against their rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The team is 2-0. For the first time ever, the Saints have sold every season ticket. Al Jazeera is one of the networks covering the game. Even though I used to live in Atlanta and think Michael Vick is amazing, I'm pulling for the Saints tonight. As is most of the world.

Who would have thought a football stadium which hosts one of the NFL's least successful franchises would get rebuilt while a transportation system which moved two million people a year might not? But we cannot live without hope. We can take the bus to work or crowd the freeways, but we need something to give us a sense of future, of community, of purpose. Rebuilding a stadium was a symbol for rebuilding a city and its shattered lives.

The trouble is, another hurricane can put the Superdome back where it was. There's only one Foundation which withstands every hurricane, only one Refuge you can trust in every storm. It's not safe to step into your Monday until you've stepped into his shelter. Why not make Jesus your Lord again, right now?