We
have two monstrous hurricanes hitting our country as I write this. One has hit Texas and another one has hit the west
coast of Florida. Harvey has done
unimaginable destruction to the Houston area of Texas. Hurricane Irma is currently causing destruction
in Florida and wherever it will go from there.
There are uncounted people affected by these storms. Houses have been destroyed, people’s lives
have been put on hold as rescuers work hard to save people from the high water
and get them to safety. We all know that
we should help these people in their distress; money is being donated to a
number of organizations that are doing everything in their power to help the
affected people.
What I notice about all of this is
that people are being helped regardless of their beliefs. Nobody is asking any questions about who
people voted for, what issues they support or if they have any same sex
marriages in their families. Nobody
cares about any of these things, which makes me wonder how terribly important
they are in the wider scheme of things.
What is important here is that we take care of one another. That means putting the “issues” aside, the things
that seem to drive our politics; and working only for what is important: the welfare of the people in front of us.
These aren’t the only destructive problems
facing us today. There are massive fires
in our Western states that threaten many houses with destruction with many
lives being upset. Here, firefighters
from all over are working hard to put out the fires and to help those who are
affected find relief. Again, issues are
not important, only the welfare of those affected.
Rosie and I had some experience with
this kind of destruction. In March of 1993,
a monstrous winter storm that put three feet of snow all over the east coast
and generated winds in excess of 100 miles per hour that destroyed the beach
house that we had had in North Carolina for over fifteen years. It was a terrible moment in our lives and I
can understand how the people who are losing their primary residences feel
about these storms. In a strange way,
these things are a blessing for all of us.
They get our attention away from the issues that divide us and focus our
concern on the needs that these dear people have. I know that this is what love is all
about.
St. Paul, in his letter to the
Romans, tells his readers: Owe no one
anything, except to love one another. He lists the commandments, stealing,
adultery, murder, coveting; and tells them that all of the commandments are
summed up in the great words, Love your neighbor
as yourself. He makes it clear that
love does no harm to anyone, but is the fulfilling of the law. That is what our Lord wants us to do for all
of these people who are in distress, not only from the storms and fires, but in
all of the ways that this world creates misery.
Our job is not to judge, but to help.
That is the essence of our faith.
In a letter to the editor in our
local paper, a woman was chastising her church for leaning too much toward what
she called “liberal beliefs” and getting away from the teaching of the
church. She was talking about churches
that provide a place for same sex marriages, allow people to have an abortion if
it is absolutely necessary; and making an effort to include everyone in their
communities. She didn’t approve of any of this. She wanted the rules to be obeyed.
When I read the stories about Jesus,
they all seem to be of a man doing his ministry and taking care of people, regardless
of their background. He healed the Centurian’s
servant and the Syrophonecian woman’s child. He did all of this because of his primary ministry,
which was to love and to care for the people whom he met. Whatever issues that were
current in those communities were not his concern. It was the welfare of the people. Caring for each other is the mission of the church.
We need to always put our pettiness aside
and focus on the need that is around us.
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