From The Mud Puddle

Before you read this complete post, I want to say I am very compassionate about what is happening in New Orleans. My heart goes out to the people there. My heart is breaking over their suffering. I want to hold the little babies, and feed the little children. I want to offer a shoulder to cry on for the adults as they are fed to full and hydrated with life giving water. I have experienced a great deal of personal tragedies, however, I have never lost everything I own, nor been in the situation of these people. I cannot even imagine to any degree just how desperate these folks are, nor to what degree they feel hopelessness. My tragic situations and this are apples and bananas and cannot be compared. I cannot put myself totally in their shoes. Someday (and hopefully not) my family and I might face similar situations where difficult choices have to be made. I may face uncomfortable choices. I cannot say what I may or may not do in such a situation. My heart says that I would stand firm and not do what we are seeing so many do in looting, but how can I truly tell you this when I sit here in my air conditioned house with a full fridge of food at my computer. How can I even try to even totally understand what it would be like to be stranded, hot, dirty, hungry, tired, scared, without a home, without power, clean water to drink, much less to bathe in? I cannot wrap my mind around such horror.

But with that said, can we set aside our feelings for a moment and see looting for what it is? I know I've seen the pictures of folks taking TV's, DVD players, VCRs etc. I have also seen pictures of folks pushing buggies full of food through the streets after looting a grocery store. I keep hearing folks separate the two incidents by saying that stealing a TV, a VCR or DVD player is inexcusable, but stealing food is understandable. Yes, it is understandable, but both kinds of looting are stealing and are sinful according to God's word. Just because we understand what may drive someone to steal, still doesn't justify their doing it. God's word is clear, stealing is a sin. Looting is stealing. To try to justify the looting based on the person's desperation becomes situational ethics because we are saying that in certain situations, sin is ok. No where in scripture does God give us "outs" where sin is ok. No where is sin justified, except by the blood of Jesus Christ as one gives their life to Christ. While any one of us might would be driven to do what these folks are doing, we still would be sinning as we would if we walked into the grocery store and tucked a can of green beans in our baggy pants and walked out of the store under normal conditions.

In this week, I've been so reminded of how poor in spirit we are. There is a greater need out here that has existed since Eve became sticky with fruit juice and it is that of our souls. We can so clearly see the depravity of man as he has responded to this disaster in New Orleans he found himself in. I just hope we can see the hope that is in Christ displayed as well. Throughout the Old Testament, God tells of different things he is going to do in advance and then says and then they shall know that I am the Lord God. May all men, through this experience know that God is indeed God and that He loves them so much he sent His son to die for all the sin that plagues our souls.