thesoulpurposedotorg

I met an elderly woman in our housing division the week that Hurricane Wilma was heading for Florida. A former science professor at our local University, she has the bright eyes and quick wit of unusual intelligence. She said to me, “With all the disasters in our world, I can understand why people of old would think the gods are angry with us.” In our ensuing discussion, we shared our sense of horror that the poorest and least powerful in our world have been the most to suffer in these natural disasters.
As the earthquakes were devastating Pakistan, I listened for updates on CNN and on NPR. Rarely were such updates given. I asked for prayers in church and many didn’t even seem to know there was an earthquake. The contrast with the news reporting on the Tsunami and the devastations of hurricanes on our own land was stark.

My husband was in Germany for business shortly after the earthquakes had hit Pakistan. The news there, also from CNN, was constantly giving updates on the tragedy in Pakistan. . Same news corporation. Same globe we all live on. Same tragedy. But in the US Lou Dobbs is harping about illegal immigrants from Mexico and people don’t want their poker tournament watching to be disturbed. Why the difference?

Because we’re the ones with the power and we don’t have to care. In Europe, the immigration of people from the asias is much greater per capita than it is here. They have to care – they belong to the whole global communitiy and they know it. The European and British send aid readily with little fanfare. We, on the other hand, have much fanfare when we give anything and far less actual aid given. In the case of Pakistan, it seems we aren’t even given much opportunity to care.

In recent years our leaders have been glaringly calling us a Christian Nation. I shake my head in wonder at what other nations are learning about what it means to be a Christian from our example. And wonder why I feel most at home with those who would call themselves agnostic.

I believe that any tragedy brings with it carification of what is really important. This is true on in individual level as well as on a global level. It is clear, once again, that power and wealth is what is important to us as a nation. People without either are disposable. And this for a people who claim the name of one who died poor and abandoned on a hillside outside of Jerusalem. The same hillside, perhaps, on which he sat a few weeks earlier and wept because his people could not turn from wealth and power to see the kingdom of God within each willing heart.