The devastation of our Gulf Coast has wrapped itself around my heart and broken it. I watch, I listen and I shudder. How could this happen? Here? We are mighty. We are rich – more than most. This is the United States of America!

Then the truth of what we have just lost presses past my defenses, and the horror of what has happened gags me. I feel shame and anguish at the reality exposed by Katrina’s power. We have sinned, and the cost, in lives and resources, of the lesson we are about to learn will haunt this nation’s understanding of itself for a long, long time.

Four years ago we held each other in our disbelief and anguish at the falling of the World Trade Center. The national response was swift and united. Retaliation mighty. Weapons were hurled. We defied world opinion in our fury to be avenged. Billions upon billions of dollars and thousands of lives later we learn the awful truth. We are not secure.

The word “sin” is derived from a root meaning to miss the mark. We have missed the mark. Local, state and federal priorities have not focused resources on the well-being of community. Resources were not allocated for securing the well-being of individuals. The depth of our prejudices, the seduction of military might and its power to turn us away from the needs of our neighbors, have been revealed to us.

What we have heard on the radio, seen on the televisions and in the papers is the image of a nation we have not wanted to know existed. We have seen a world we have hidden away to fortify the illusion of our invincibility, the weakness of our democracy, and our suicidal appetite for consumption.

The sin exposed in the wake of this hurricane is our assumption that a strong military will make us secure. We have abandoned social programming and fortification of our infrastructure. We have prioritized military might, divisive policies, airport and border security, and covert activities rather than securing levees, building roads, developing and practicing emergency preparedness. We have missed the mark defined in all of the sacred texts: the priority of caring for the least among us.

National security is not defined by the size of our weapons arsenal but by the well-being of our children, our elderly and our disadvantaged. The integrity of our democracy is secured when we affirm and celebrate the distinct neighborhoods, languages, art, food and music that created and enrich this nation.

We need our historic landmarks to tell us who we are and where we have come from. The landmarks of our national eras, settlement, slavery, immigration, wars and cultural development remind us of our best and our worst, our strength and our challenges. When we remember, we can improve.

We do not need to blame, judge or whine. That will not protect our national security, but acknowledging the truths Katrina has exposed, will. The truths? When our abled and disabled citizens have opportunities to earn a living wage we are secure. When we can rest at night knowing if we get sick we will be physically, emotionally and financially cared for, we are secure.

When we are assured of a retirement in comfort we are secure. Only when the least among us is adequately clothed, in a comfortable home, experiencing a sense of personal dignity and worth are we secure. When we have learned not to judge others by the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or their faith, we are secure.

Katrina’s power found its way right into the soft underbelly of our fallibility. Can we learn? Can we recognize what real national security means? Can we consume less and share more? Can we dismantle the obstructions to equality, liberty justice and the pursuit of happiness for all?

We must build upon a new truth that acknowledges our challenges and prioritizes the well-being of our citizens, meeting their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. We must accept the limitations of military might to secure our well-being. As our nation’s lawmakers return to the capital, we must keep the images of this national trauma fresh in their hearts and minds. We must hold them accountable for legislating change and appropriating funds in a new way. May we all dig deep for resources, for awareness, for spiritual integrity, and give compassionately and generously, opening our arms and hearts wide to the learning we have just paid so dearly for.

Let this catastrophic loss not be in vain.

The Rev. Elaine Beth Peresluha is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor. She may be reached at bdnreligion@bangordailynews.net. Voices is a weekly commentary by Maine people who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.