I lost it.
I had just watched video footage of poor, black people literally dying before my eyes. The dispossessed, the least of these. Right. There. In. Front. Of. Us. Chanting "Help. Help. Help." Is it okay to go back for seconds and talk about the game when people need help? I have always struggled with the rationalizations we use to justify our inaction.
So I said this -
Before you load up the car for a bitchin' time at the lake, don't forget to take a look at the people who will be sitting by their own lake this weekend. A lake full of disease, violence, and the bodies of their neighbors. Be sure, when you go to church this weekend, and you join with fellow believers in a celebration of your life in Christ, that you at least mention the single mom who now has no job, no home, no peace, no rest. Remember the filth, as you sleep on clean sheets. Remember the starvation, as you grill your burgers. Remember your homework, while so many look at the rubble that used to be their school. Be grateful for what you have, when so many others have lost it all.Okay, I didn't say the "bullshit" part, but it was definitely implied.
If you think about all the suffering and do nothing, you are a liar. You say you are a disciple of Jesus; that you are committed to loving and living like him. But if you stare in the face of the newly homeless and do nothing, you lie. Write a check, if it will make you feel better. But I don't think Jesus called us to be check-writers. It's better than doing nothing; but I think Jesus asks us for more than a payoff. He asks us to get into relationship with the poor. Anything less is game-playing. Understand, I'm as guilty as you. I want to bring a family of refugees home with me, get them jobs, put their kids in school, etc. It scares me to think about bringing a strange family into my house. It might cost me. It might interrupt my comfortable existence. But where's my faith? I say I'm willing to die for my beliefs...just don't ask me to share my room.
In a strange way I am energized by times like these. It is an opportunity to separate the true believers from the bullshitters. You'll recognize the bullshitters as the ones who are more concerned about the word "bullshit" than the fact that thousands of innocent people are suffering. You can only trade on piety for so long, until the people in need recognize you for the phony you are. So, before you finalize your plans for a day of jet skiing this weekend, ask yourself who you are.
I am at sea here. I'm a little paralyzed. I have made some inquiries about housing a family. Dear God, give me the faith to follow through, if someone accepts my offer.
11 comments:
Wow, the comment spam looks even more evil, in this context. Didn't think it possible.
Beautiful post. And quite a challenge.
Spam removed.
If it keeps up, I'll go to a verification process for comments.
By the way, thanks Tool. The challenge is as strong for me as anyone.
We are scrambling here in North Texas to deal with the deluge of humanity. One of our clients has 12 "relatives" from Mississippi in her home. Our county homeless shelter, already broke, is bursting at the seams. I've been soliciting home cooked meals to deliver to the shelter today as they are also dealing with a broken stove. Dallas County is sending more our way as their shelters are maxed. Then in the midst, a few minutes ago I read another blog concerning the Hurricane refugees in which one of the Great Enlightened Ones explained why he didn't feel compelled to help those that "would not help themselves," meaning they should have left New Orleans under the mandatory evacuation like they were supposed to(since they "chose" not to--they gotta take what they have coming). This was one of the nicest things he had to say. Apparently he's unaware, and I'll hazard to guess doesn't care, that the poor who did not evacuate likely stayed because they had nowhere to go, no money to go on, and no one to go to. Of course, she says with sarcasm dripping from her lips, being poor and having no hope is their own damn fault as well. Then we have the Speaker of the House stating it "doesn't make sense to rebuild [New Orleans]." But it makes infinite sense to spend how many BILLION $$$ per day in Iraq?????
Thanks for publishing your rant. Can I use it like it's my own? Just need to add my part about the federal government cutting funding that prohibited the levees from being rebuilt four years ago.
Now I need blood pressure meds...
From BlogforAmerica...
Lend a helping hand.
Today, we join so many others in heeding the call to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Community support and activism is what we are about, and this is a time when we must all step up to the plate.
Tens of thousands of newly homeless families are competing for area shelters, hotels, motels and cars. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Red Cross are working endlessly to find shelter for the displaced, as well as medical attention, food, clothing and all of life's necessities.
We've joined MoveOn in launching an emergency national housing drive to connect your spare rooms, empty beds and comfy couches with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to stay. You can post your offer of housing and search for available housing online at:
www.hurricanehousing.org
Obviously, housing is most needed within the Southeast area, especially New Orleans, so please forward this message to anyone you know in the region who might be able to help.
Every action—big or small—makes a difference. So please offer what you can.
The process is simple:
You can sign up to become a host by posting a description of whatever housing you have available, along with contact information. You can change or remove your offer at any time.
Hurricane victims, local and national relief organizations, friends and relatives can search the site for housing. We'll do everything we can to get your offers where they are needed most. Many shelters actually already have Internet access, but folks without 'net access can still make use of the site through case workers and family members.
Hurricane victims or relief agencies will contact hosts and together decide if it's a good match and make the necessary travel arrangements. The host's address is not released until a particular match is agreed on.
If you are unable to offer housing, then we urge you to volunteer or donate to the Red Cross.
http://www.redcross.org
Many local Red Cross chapters are organizing assistance efforts as well. To support your local chapter's efforts, visit:
www.redcross.org/where/chapts.asp
Please lend a helping hand to our fellow Americans today. There are countless families who have lost everything and just need a place to stay. We can help.
Thanks for helping when it matters most.
Tom Hughes
Democracy for America
Now I need blood pressure meds...
You and me both. I was in my barber shop this morning listening to a couple of good ol'boys going off on the people down there like this is somehow all their fault.
Now, shooting at helicopters and raping women and all that is inexcusable, and personally I can't think of a punishment big enough for them. But these ol' boys were getting on EVERYONE as if they somehow had it coming.
People who looted food and clothing? Horrible criminals. One woman took some shoes to keep from cutting her feet on debris -- "Didn't she think to put her shoes on? She knew the storm was coming!"
No, you're right, it's less likely that she lost them in the storm or the flooding than that she just decided to go barefoot when taking shelter from the worst disaster of her life. You unbelievable moron.
His solution? "Just cut 'em a check and tell 'em to go somewhere else."
He had the unbelievable temerity to criticize New Orleans citizens as "not very neighborly" after all his ranting. Gak.
I have been in tears every night and every morning while watching the coverage. The easy thing would be to change the channel. Not subject myself to all the pain and suffering. I have the choice to watch or not watch. But, do I really? It is my duty as an American to help my neighbor. Does it matter what color they are, what social class they are in, whether they are "good" or "bad"? No, they are humans in need. I need to be reminded of that daily as I sit in my comfortable living room, poor my water down the drain because I decided I didn't want any more. I too want to help. Not just write a check, but help. I have been searching out organizations that need volunteers, and looking for ways to let people know my house is open. Thanks for the post on the housing website. Yes, it is scary to think I may have strangers in my home, but I have to keep watching the tv to remind me it is the right thing to do.
I have a suggestion for something y'all can do up there -- I got a list of needs through the grapevine of a church in Baton Rouge that's feeding/housing a bunch of people:
Pillows
Towels
Dry Goods (like cereal & snacks)
Canned goods
Medicines like pepto bismol, milk of magnesium, orajel, eye drops and the like.
Children's OTC medicines (cold, etc.)
Some of that stuff is more easily mailed than others, obviously, but you could probably send a batch of medicine or granola bars without having to pay too much for shipping. I don't have the address of the church yet but as soon as I get it I'll post it here. It's not as earth-shattering as moving someone into your home but it will help.
As for everything else that's been said here, a big fat amen from me. We're getting more and more refugees every day -- we could end up with as many as 20,000 across the state -- and I've been seesawing constantly between awe at the incredible generosity I've seen and disgust at not only the monumental failure of the rescue/evacuation efforts but also at the attitudes of even some people I go to church with who want to make sure we extend our hand only to the right kind of evacuees. You know, nice middle-class (read: white) families who we can "identify" with. Starting Sunday we'll have 10 families staying in our gym for several weeks, and fortunately the woman who's in charge of recruiting? selecting? them definitely gets what it means to love thy neighbor. I'm in charge of rounding up cots and air mattresses...pray for me. :)
Here's the info -- the woman I got it from has spoken to them and done a bit of a background check just to confirm they're legit.
Margaret Chair
c/o Antioch Family Church
7140 Antioch Rd
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Phone # 225-756-2161
a
Reacher,
Well said.
I believe @ times the Creator allows things to occur that forces you to stare straight down the barrel of your personal religion, and ask what do you do with the least of these. This is such a time.
I could rattle of a litany of charges against the thugs looting,etc. Or I could callously ask, "Who builds thier home below sea level @ the seashore"
But, all of that is extemporary @ this point. The damage is done, and folks need help.
We're free to disagree politacally, that is part and parcel of freedom. But, don't pump out the Kool-Aid @ times like this. The Speaker asked if it was wise to rebuild the city in the same fashion exposing it to the same risks in the future. Show me where Clinton, Bush 41, Reagan, Carter, LBJ, Ford, Kennedy, any ex-pres. did anything to address the well-known needs of improving the levee system. To blame this on politics exposes one as a hack.
Let's really talk about faith here or our time is better spent writing checks to appease our conscience.
Jim
I would be interested to hear how your students responded to your speech.
It good that there are so many ways that people can help in America, even if most people don't and many of the ways involve writing checks.
Just after I arrived here, in Singapore, terrible forest fires ravaged the nearby island of Sumatra. This is only one year after the tsunami hit. On Channel News Asia there was only minimal talk about help or relief, the main focus seemed to be the possibility of haze floating over Singapore if the weather did not change. This is probably similar to the grumblings about high gas prices in the states right now.
I am around a lot of missionaries and pastors right now. I don't feel like I have the experience or tenure to judge yet, but it saddens me when I meet so many missionaries that say they only focus on evangelization and do little to meet physical needs. Again, I don't feel like I can criticize, only observe and feel, but I even met one who works in southeast asia who said it would be impossible to meet physical needs in his ministry because they are so great so he doesn't even try.
That is not to say I haven't seen anything done in the way of Christian love and charity. The school nurse was sent last year to help aide tsunami victims and there are lots of fund raising efforts for different causes. I'm sure there are others (I've only been here a month but it doesn't seem to be the focus like evangelism tends to be.
Your post has caused a lot of thought and reflection for me. Instead of organizing my thoughts I am responding pretty randomly. I know I haven't given any answers to anything.
I'll conclude by asking everyone to go look at Jim Wallace's explanation of Mark 14:7 on page 209 of God's Politics. I read it for the first time yesterday and it is extremely relevant to this post.
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