Omid Safi asks some hard questions at Religion News Service:
I have waited a few days before writing more in response to Sandy.
In general, I find that the immediate response to crisis, any crisis, has to be immediate, un-mediated compassion. To do less, to do other, even to ask larger questions of justice and injustice when immediate compassion is called for is to fall into the trap of ego-ism and “holier-than-thou-ism” when there are still many who are suffering. My own sister’s home was destroyed in this storm, so I am not unmindful of how many continue to suffer because of Sandy.
I am well aware of the fact that the suffering has not yet passed. There are still millions without power, and billions who have suffered losses. Yet as we move from life-endangering crisis to recovery, I want to ask these difficult questions:
*The extraordinary disparity between the have and have-nots?
*The death not considered?
*What if it is our own fault?
*More to come?
Read his comments at What Would Mohammed Do?
What do you think Jesus would do?
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It has always bothered me that when hurricanes happen, a lot of the houses on the very shoreline are owned by people who expect someone to pay for rebuilding their houses — precisely where the previous one stood and which has the potential of being knocked down in turn by the next passing hurricane. How many people could be helped by the funds expended by rebuilding on the shoreline? How many people inland whose houses were damaged by the storm surge could be helped similarly? What would Jesus do? I doubt he’d rebuild his destroyed house on sand….. or build it there in the first place, much less expect the government to pay for his whim.
Hmmm.. didn’t he say something to Peter about houses and sand??????
Just my musing, which is worth about $0.139 after taxes
Linda Ryan.