Reality check

The horror is not that the tsunami killed hundreds of thousands in so many countries. It's not even that it would take years and billions of dollars to recover the devastated lands.

It's what people do in the midst of it all.

It's the army sitting on their asses all day unless they see foreign aid workers. It's people asking for payment per corpse. It's still others who looted dead bodies for change and stores for goods. Or refused to help certain ethnic or religious groups. Or denied orphans of shelter and foster care because the offer came from a person/family of a different faith. Or blocked aid from particular agency/country/area for political motives. Or sell people (children + girls) to other countries - otherwise known as human trafficking.

People do that.

Are you angry yet? You should be.

One can argue that the real issue is poverty; the affected areas are poor areas. They merely saw an opportunity to make (or steal) a buck. The politically motivated ones - well, that's obvious.

But rich people are not exactly moral either, are they? Having or not having is not the reason. Sinful nature doesn't discriminate economically.

Sorry to be so negative. It's rather personal. After hearing all the good will, hard work, and incredible giving that has been pouring in, I am saddened and infuriated by this reality check. Most of all, to think that if I were part of a group to go to Aceh and help, some of my own countrymen might deny me because of my ethnicity and my faith in Christ.

And so my mind goes to Jesus. Look at the people he chose to hang out with back then during the extremely violent and oppressive Roman era. Prostitutes. Tax collectors (think corrupt government workers). Fishermen. He was a carpenter. Then think of what he said to them. Love your enemies. Love those who oppress you. You are the light of the world. Follow me, I'll make you fishers of men. He said all that. To that audience.

Talk about radical. I'm called to love (and give) to those who hate me and want to kill me.

Nothing left to do but to get down on my knees.
And reach deep.

Into my checkbook, too.