It Takes a Hurricane
Once, every few years or so, there is an event, unplanned, unforeseen, unexpected that changes the nation and individuals. After 9/11, everyone became more patriotic. Flags were everywhere. And after Hurricane Katrina, everyone wants to help the poor.
These events represent a make-or-break time for the church. There will be plenty of time for investigation and criticism of the government response to Katrina, but for now, the church has stepped up to the plate, and has even hit a couple of home runs. But as we know from these steroid crazed days, home runs mean less and less. Hitting streaks are the new feat of skill as they embody dedication and consistency. I hope that this disaster can be the springboard from which the church can relaunch its effectiveness and live as it has always proclaimed.
It is inspiring that every evacuee leaving the Gulf Coast is able to see a doctor – some for the first time in a long time. It kind of makes you wonder what universal, or at least affordable, health care would look like, and what it could do for this country. We have also seen an outpouring of concern for the poor. Churches have collected donations, opened their facilities, distributed finances, and cooked meals for these less fortunate who have nothing to go home to other than contaminated flood water filling their dilapidated houses. It kind of makes you wonder what the church was doing until it took a hurricane to get these people noticed.
I have several friends who believe steadfastly that the church is to be the primary agent by which the poor are helped in America (meaning governmental programs like welfare and food stamps are out of place). While I agree that church involvement in several areas could make them irrelevant to government, the failure of the church to end poverty forces the government to aid those below the poverty line (a number that increased again this past week and will rise in the aftermath of Katrina). While several people may want to put the solution on the shoulders of the church, very few are willing to take up that yoke.
Therefore, this is a point at which the church can stand strong, giving of its resources and talents to aid the displaced, and seeing each family and individual through until he or she has a viable standard of living. It would also be amazing for the church to realize that there are more people who live in shoddy housing, have little access to the basic needs of life, and who need the kind of help churches are offering Katrina victims. These people live in every city in the world. God forbid each city needs its own Katrina for the church to wake up to the immense needs out there.
A favorite phrase often used to test one’s faith is: “Would you die for your beliefs?” How stupid. Because of the relative peace in America, no American Christian will have a gun put to their head, with the gunman demanding they deny their Lord. But, there will be the poor, asking for help. This is the test of faith for American Christianity. With the poor on our doorstep, will we deny our Lord by not helping where we see need? Or will we live for our beliefs, following the way of Jesus, fighting for the downtrodden?
May it not take another hurricane.
These events represent a make-or-break time for the church. There will be plenty of time for investigation and criticism of the government response to Katrina, but for now, the church has stepped up to the plate, and has even hit a couple of home runs. But as we know from these steroid crazed days, home runs mean less and less. Hitting streaks are the new feat of skill as they embody dedication and consistency. I hope that this disaster can be the springboard from which the church can relaunch its effectiveness and live as it has always proclaimed.
It is inspiring that every evacuee leaving the Gulf Coast is able to see a doctor – some for the first time in a long time. It kind of makes you wonder what universal, or at least affordable, health care would look like, and what it could do for this country. We have also seen an outpouring of concern for the poor. Churches have collected donations, opened their facilities, distributed finances, and cooked meals for these less fortunate who have nothing to go home to other than contaminated flood water filling their dilapidated houses. It kind of makes you wonder what the church was doing until it took a hurricane to get these people noticed.
I have several friends who believe steadfastly that the church is to be the primary agent by which the poor are helped in America (meaning governmental programs like welfare and food stamps are out of place). While I agree that church involvement in several areas could make them irrelevant to government, the failure of the church to end poverty forces the government to aid those below the poverty line (a number that increased again this past week and will rise in the aftermath of Katrina). While several people may want to put the solution on the shoulders of the church, very few are willing to take up that yoke.
Therefore, this is a point at which the church can stand strong, giving of its resources and talents to aid the displaced, and seeing each family and individual through until he or she has a viable standard of living. It would also be amazing for the church to realize that there are more people who live in shoddy housing, have little access to the basic needs of life, and who need the kind of help churches are offering Katrina victims. These people live in every city in the world. God forbid each city needs its own Katrina for the church to wake up to the immense needs out there.
A favorite phrase often used to test one’s faith is: “Would you die for your beliefs?” How stupid. Because of the relative peace in America, no American Christian will have a gun put to their head, with the gunman demanding they deny their Lord. But, there will be the poor, asking for help. This is the test of faith for American Christianity. With the poor on our doorstep, will we deny our Lord by not helping where we see need? Or will we live for our beliefs, following the way of Jesus, fighting for the downtrodden?
May it not take another hurricane.
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Comments (2)
5:09 PM
"I have several friends who believe steadfastly that the church is to be the primary agent by which the poor are helped in America (meaning governmental programs like welfare and food stamps are out of place)."
Me: Awwwww, thanks for the shout out, Sammy!
8:31 AM
I believe the nature of most people is to help those in need. The key difference between the displaced in New Orleans is that after Katrina their need was obvious and uncontested, where it may or may not have been previously. As I've seen played out on television, radio, through friends and even in my community (which is more than 1000 miles away from impact), the majority of us capable of helping are doing so on an unprecedented scale. The key to alleviating poverty in America (which is still a standard of living most people in the World have not experienced) is not the promise that the government will take care of everyone with social programs. "Don't worry about your health the government will take care of it, don't evacuate a hurricane the government will save you." Some can argue this mentality New Orleans for several decades led to the widespread poverty in New Orleans. Perhaps the key is to somehow, someway convey real need, real pain and a real thirst for better situations to those that already live at that desired level. I believe that most people will answer calls to real needs, especially when confronted on a personal level as seen in the wake of Katrina.
Burgwah
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