As the waters rise around us

As the waters rise around us. Mary Louise Bringle* (1953–).   Hymn writers have long responded to immediate crises. Hymns composed in the wake of catastrophic events are still valid expressions of faith, even if their useful life is short.  Only a slight percentage of hymns written find sustained use for congregations. In 2005 Bringle wrote a response to Hurricane Katrina, a natural disaster that traumatized thousands of displaced persons and exacerbated patterns of systemic oppression that had been set in motion for decades. She describes the context for the hymn:   In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States. Scenes on the nightly news...

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