All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

Byron Pitts is National Correspondent for CBS News.

---

After Hurricane Katrina, it's become sport to criticize FEMA and other federal agencies for what DOES NOT get done immediately after a disaster and the months that follow. Trust me, much of the criticism has been fair, but not enough attention has been paid to those who are actually doing the bulk of the heavy lighting: Faith based groups. And so that's what we attempt to do in tonight's "American Spirit" on The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

Spend anytime in the Gulf Coast or any of those places hit recently by deadly tornadoes and you'll see what we saw in Lake Mack, Fl. There are countless faith-based groups around the country doing "God's work." We profiled one.

A.C.T.S. (which stands for Active Community Team Services) is a Christian non-profit organization that responds to disasters around the country. David Canther founded ACTS three years ago in Florida. He's a former pastor who decided to leave the pulpit and continue his 'faith walk' where people are in need. ACTS has about 12-thousand volunteers nationwide. Most are students from private and Christian high schools and colleges. They volunteer their time. All receive training in "disaster response."

Hours after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, ACTS hit the ground. "There were trees all over the main highways and we cut our way in," says David Canther. "Man we were determined. It was all thought the night. It took us five hours to go five miles."

"Five hours" turned into nine months. In that time ACTS served nearly 500,000 hot meals and distributed more than $23 million in donated goods.

Canther believes it's important to feed survivors' emotional needs, as well as their physical needs. His teams also brings in tents and concert stages, so people have a place to gather. A place to eat, and and share fellowship and, if need be, grieve. ACTS took note that often-times after a natural disaster (tornado, hurricane, etc) communities are left days and sometimes weeks without electricity. So kids can't listen to music or watch TV for example. ACTS brings in live music and provides games. In places where churches and houses of worship have been destroyed, ACTS puts up tents and allows for religious services...

Hi everyone.

I hope you had a nice weekend. I went to church on Sunday, and was very taken with my minister’s sermon. It was beautifully written and delivered, and I thought some of you might enjoy parts of it. You can read the whole thing online later this week at The Brick Presbyterian Church website.

The minister at Brick Church is Michael Lindvall and the sermon was on the existence of doubt as it relates to faith. Many people explore their faith and end up on different places on the road before we all arrive at the ultimate destination. Doubt and questioning can leave us feeling guilty and inadequate (Great! Like I need more reasons for that!) But his thesis is that doubt is a part of everyone’s journey. I thought I would pass along some of the key passages from this sermon, because it really resonated with me and I found it both intellectually stimulating and comforting. I was so happy I was there to hear it.

Here’s some of it:

I want to say two things in this sermon about the experience of religious questioning and doubt. The first is this: questioning is not the opposite of faith. Ironically, it’s a part of faith. Questions, even those big questions that cross the edge into doubt, are intrinsic to a dialogue that is actually a part of the act of believing. The great 20th century German-American theologian Paul Tillich always insisted that doubt isn’t the opposite of faith, but rather an element of faith. Presbyterian minister and novelist, Fred Buechner, put it more memorably: “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep.” Then he adds (and I rather like this metaphor) “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They us awake and moving.”

The current chief rabbi of Great Britain is a brilliant man named Jonathan Sacks. He recently said much the same thing as Christians Tillich and Buechner. “To be without questions,” Sacks wrote, “is not a sign of faith, but of lack of depth.” Then he went on to offer a big “however” – actually, three “howevers.” Sacks offers three caveats, a trio of conditions that form what you might title “The Guide for Faithfully Living Your Doubts.” As a Christian, I think his three conditions for questioning are on the mark as much for Christians as they are for Jews...

Read full post…

Our colleague Byron Pitts just got back from Jacksonville, North Carolina and noticed something you don't see much anymore -- at least, not in New York. Take a minute and take a look. Read the whole thing, too, after the jump. I think you'll be glad you did.

Jacksonville, NC is an interesting place. If you drive too fast you'll miss a lot or you'll only notice the tattoo parlors, pawn shops and fast food joints. Most people are usually in a hurry to either enter or leave Camp LeJeune: That's the US Marine Corp base in Jacksonville.

But spend a little time in J'ville as we did a few days ago and you'll notice a whole lot more. We went to Jacksonville to do a story on the 'pulse of the people' there and their views about the war in Iraq and the war on Terror. Katie Couric has an exclusive interview with President Bush tonight on the war. So we went to Jacksonville to sample opinion there on the wary and how the President is fairing. As you might imagine Jacksonville is a pro-military town. Most people there would be considered 'conservative.'

Here however is what I noticed: Jacksonville is a place like so many places in America where faith still matters. We stopped by a lovely little diner called 'The Kettle Diner' to interview customers for our story. When you walk in the door you're greeted by one of the friendliest and most energetic people you'll ever meet. 'Ms Lilly' (Lilly Cantrell) is the day shift manager at 'The Kettle." She's usually the first and last person you'll see at the restaurant. She'll greet you with a smile, find you a seat and maybe even hand you a menu. You pay her when you leave. And along with your change she sends you off with 'Have a blessed day." I watched her for 20-minutes and every costumer was sent off the same day.

Now I know in some places such parting words don't mean much. But in places like Jacksonville to say 'have a blessed day' is like sending a person off with a few extra coins in their pocket. I also noticed at that small diner... most people before they ate stopped to say grace or bless their food. That's how I was raised and when I was a boy that's what most people did at home AND in restaurants. I pointed out one couple praying to my soundman and he seemed surprised. "Most people don't do that,' he said. And you know what, he's right. In some places people might even give a funny look if they saw someone 'saying grace.'

But not in Jacksonville. In Jacksonville it just seemed normal: People thanking God for the food they're about to receive. It's a small and simple thing to do, but in many places in America it means so very much.

Read full post…