Horizons Column for September 22, 2005
By Bob Dale
2005 will go down in history as a “bookend” year, a year bounded by two massive crises-the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Amid such horrific human needs, our faith is always put to the test.
Recent news about Katrina showed two contrasting attitudes in responding toward the residents of New Orleans, both living and dead. The first description came from a Louisiana volunteer who was using his boat to look for survivors. He noted he'd been instructed to leave any dead bodies he found for experts to recover later. “I'll tie them to a tree, or I'll kick them into a house and close the door on them,” he said.
The second rescuer, a man from the inner city of New Orleans, spoke as one who had already seen too much destruction. With an insider's perspective, he hoped aloud, “If they find corpses in the city, I pray they'll treat them like their own family members.”
What a difference when works and words show respect!
How can we respond to overwhelming human need with Christian respect? In the Old Testament, the Hebrews understood what life was like when you had no place to call your own. Consequently, their Hebrew faith called them to care for the widow, the orphan and, interestingly, the stranger at the gate-all defenseless persons. The early church institutionalized this command to care and to develop caring places-orphanages, hospital and hotels-for those who had special needs. Did you know that these sheltering places for basic care are part of our own faith's theology and tradition?
Our Virginia Baptist family has generously provided mobile kitchens, trained recovery teams and volunteer networks for caregiving after crises. Pray, help, give, host. We may be the next “strangers at the gate.”
We need caregiving especially when the storms of life leave us disrespected or “dissed,” as some put it. God loves the dis-lodged, dis-placed, dis-possessed, dis-abled and dis-graced. And in the face of our neighbors' needs after Katrina, we musn't forget to respectfully care for the widow, orphan or stranger at our gates. Christians treat people in need like our own family members.
Bob Dale is assistant executive director of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and director of the Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership.