August 2009 - Voter's Remorse
08/01/2009
Our country is in a recession! People have been and are being laid off work right and left. Others have had to take cuts in pay.
As I was thinking about what to bring in this month’s column, I thought back on our 4th of July and the many fantastic fireworks displays around our country. This is supposed to be a Christian nation so I want to bring a Christian perspective to this event.
All my life, I’ve enjoyed watching the beautiful fireworks. It’s an important tradition for our nation, especially as we give thanks for the event it represents—our independence as a nation and the men and women who have sacrificed through the centuries to keep our nation free.
But last month as I switched TV channels to watch several of our nation’s elaborate fireworks displays—one at our nation’s Capitol, one in Boston, and Macy’s in New York City—it didn’t seem right to me. Our country is in a recession! People have been and are being laid off work right and left. Others have had to take cuts in pay. We’re at a 26-year high for people claiming unemployment benefits, and the numbers at the welfare and food stamp lines stammers the imagination. It saddens me to think about the people who are losing their homes because they can’t pay their mortgages. So when I saw this year’s fireworks, I didn’t think it seemed just right.
I was glad to hear that some places cancelled their fireworks show because they felt they could better use the money to help people in their cities. But sad to say, they were in the minority. Are the fireworks beautiful? Yes of course, and it is a tradition, but as a Christian nation, we need to think, “At what cost are we enjoying such displays?” Think of that single Mom who has lost her job, fears she’ll lose her home, and does not know how she is going to feed her children. Imagine how she’d feel if she knew the cost of bringing in big celebrities and producing elaborate fireworks that lasted an hour at the most. We who say we care about the welfare of others need to do some deep thinking during these very crucial times.
From the very beginning God wanted us to be concerned for others. Genesis 4:9 records the Lord saying to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” Cain replies, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” The inference is Yes, we are our brother’s keeper! Jesus says His followers are to care for the hungry, the homeless, the sick, and those in prison (see Matthew 25:37-40). And for the reader who doesn’t claim to be a Christian, I hope just thinking about how much you have—a roof over your head, a refrigerator with food in it, more than one change of clothes, health, etc.—will cause you to consider the needs of those less fortunate.
As a nation and as individuals who make up our great nation, let’s think about how we spend our money and what’s truly important. One day we could be in dire straits like that single mom. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do them likewise.” ( Luke 6:31)