Where's the Outcry?

Over the course of the last two weeks, there have been two major natural disasters in our world.  In Myanmar, as many as 125,000 people were killed and millions more left homeless by a cyclone.  In China, there was an earthquake that is being said to have claimed as many as 50,000 lives.  That's 175,000 lives that may have been lost in the last two weeks...just in natural disasters.

When I read about these two things - especially the cyclone - I couldn't help but think back to when Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of the US in 2005.  And as I thought about it, one thing stood out to me - where is the outcry and the outpouring of support for the victims in Myanmar and China?  To be sure, relief agencies such as the Red Cross are doing their part for the cyclone and earthquake victims.  However, when Katrina hit, there was a massive outpouring of support for the city of New Orleans and other hard hit areas.  Some churches were able to raise millions of dollars to offer help...and this for a disaster in which less than 2,000 people lost their lives.

Now, I don't intend to minimize the deaths of 2,000 people.  Katrina was a national tragedy and the outpouring of support was admirable and amazing.  However, I can't help but question the church in particular when we can raise millions of dollars for our own cities and our own people but not others.  Where are the fundraisers being run for Myanmar in cities across the country?  Where are the churches sacrificing to raise millions of dollars to help earthquake victims in China?  Where are the people organizing trips to dig and to feed and to provide other support?

I think it is fair to say that all of the money that could - and arguably should - be going from our churches to Myanmar and China is staying right in the pockets of the people who sit in the pews.  After all, Myanmar and China are so far away - and there's nothing we can do anyway - that's what the Red Cross is for...

There are all kinds of excuses, and all of them are crap.  Period.  I simply refuse to believe that the same people who, three years ago, gave selflessly and sacrificially to Katrina Victims suddenly don't have the resources to sacrifice for an international tragedy that, at least in terms of lives lost, could end up being more than 500 times worse than Katrina.  We Americans are self-centered and bigoted and prejudiced...if we deign to give at all, it is only for our own kind.

I guess it suffices to say that this is one of those times that I am ashamed to be a part of the church in America.

jB