In Bridgeport, Connecticut,
angry citizens are throwing eggs at electric utility crews they believe were
too late in arriving in their neighborhood.
Their mayor’s remarks the day before may have contributed to their
actions, “I’m sick and tired of Bridgeport being shortchanged!” as wealthy
neighborhoods get first priority, were his words. The mayor of New York City took plenty of
heat for saying the marathon this weekend should go ahead as planned. People were outraged that generators and first
responders were being dedicated to the race when they could have beeen used in places
like Staten Island. People standing or
sitting in cars for hours waiting for their gas rations are beginning to turn
on each other. People trying to cut in
line are in danger of being physically harmed.
I have watched as many individuals have shouted their anger and
frustration into television news cameras, pleading for help, asking why help hasn’t
arrived, or expressing their rage through screams and tears.
The situation doesn’t seem that
much different from what I observed following hurricane Katrina. Just hours after the storm had passed through;
people were expressing their anger over the lack of response to their
plight. In that case, President Bush seemed
to be the easiest target. Today there
are multiple targets, including the president, the governors and utility
companies.
Pondering these incidents has me
wondering how I would react in a similar situation. Would I feel anger and frustration? Would I publically express rage for the
television viewers? Or would I take a
different tact?
First, I am not entirely
prepared for a catastrophe like Sandy. I
should have an emergency supply of food and water. I don’t. I should have a plan. I don’t.
I suppose I am like so many who don’t really believe anything like that
will ever happen to me. After all, I don’t
live in hurricane country, or Tornado Alley, or even on a potentially dangerous
earthquake fault.
Second, I do know how to take
care of myself. I have a water
filter. I know how to start a fire
without a match. I have the capacity to
protect my family and myself. I know how
to kill a squirrel, or a goose, or deer and prepare it for eating.
Third, I have a church
family. We would take care of each
other. I don’t know one member of my
church who wouldn’t help me in any way they could, and I them. We would pool resources and watch out for
each other.
Finally, I have a rather
different view of things than many.
Stuff really is just stuff. Oh,
sure, I would probably feel a sense of loss if the house burned down or was
blown away. However, I believe I would
recover quickly and accept the fact that it all belonged to God in the first
place. If he wants to destroy it, why
should I complain? I also am a
get-it-done kind of guy. I don’t spend a
lot of time lamenting what has happened before turning my attention to solving
the problem. I expect the government to use my tax dollars to do what it can to help me and others affected by some
disaster, but it is not my primary hope in time of trouble. I assume government help will arrive as soon
as practical, but I will not depend on it as my sole support.
So, I really don’t believe I
would be one of those angry, frustrated people complaining about how everything
isn’t fixed a whole three days after the destruction occurs. I wouldn’t blame Bush, or Obama, or Christie,
or Brown, or any other official. There
will always be plenty of time to assess the response later. I believe I would be a (hopefully not) lonely
voice in the wilderness urging sensible actions and encouraging community
cooperation as we seek God’s help. He
has so many more resources than any government agency anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment