Following the devastation of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina, Fred Luter surveyed the damage from a helicopter. Luter, pastor of the 7,000-plus member Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, strained to catch sight of his church building from the window of the aircraft. The stench from the water-soaked houses and sludge-covered vehicles below drifted 500 feet in the air.

Finally, Luter spied his church and began to weep as the helicopter circled it twice. Several other ministers who were with him sought to comfort him, putting their hands around his shoulders. He chose not to fly over his nearby home.

The weeping pastor shared, "Life is like a vapor on this side of eternity. What you have today could be gone tomorrow. You can't put your trust in earthly things…. It's tough. I've got 19 years of my life invested there."

Then, looking beyond the tragedy, Luter spoke with courage and determination. "But we're gonna rebuild. We're gonna rebuild."