What Would You Do?

Part of me says I cannot believe the looting and shooting which is happening in the New Orleans area.

Part of me can easily believe it.

Today was the first day this week I got out and about my town. You know, this town which I've written about as having the friendliest, most old-fashioned people on Earth.

Oh my. While in two stores I heard people complaining bitterly about how Hurricane Katrina will affect our town. How the gas prices are unfair. How our already high property taxes will shoot up astronomically and how that is unfair. One man sputtered, "Why should we have to help anyone? The hurricane wasn't our fault. And who helps us when we have blizzards every winter?. It's not fair. It's not right."

Bitterness. As I'd never seen it around my town in the 12 years I've lived here. And it's just the beginning.

People say it's the thugs, the drug-addicts, the lunatic fringe of New Orleans which is doing the looting and shooting.

I wonder.

I mean, hey. Are any of us 100% certain that if we'd lost everything--if we had starving children or an ill spouse, if we had no home, no shelter, no job-- are any of us certain that we'd not justify looting a WalMart to provide for our family?

That's what I mean about preparing now. Right now I need to make decisions as to how far I will go to sustain my life in a crisis. This moment I need to decide just who does my life belong to--myself or God? Do I trust God to care for me, or don't I? Just how unshakable is my faith under fire? Will I be able to put others before myself in a crisis? Will I be able to hold onto the peace that passes understanding and trust God no matter what happens?

Or in a crisis, will I doubt God and panic in fear with an 'every man for himself' attitude?

These are questions I ask myself while watching the news coverage from down South. And I believe if anyone blurts out, "Oh, I would never, ever do anything illegal in a crisis!", well, I only hope it comes after they've done much soul-searching themselves.

But the problems aren't just Down South--they're creeping up here and everywhere. I heard it in the bitter voices of my neighbors today.

Suddenly I glimpsed what may happen if gas prices continue to climb. I could see people, even my old-fashioned neighbors doing things they never, ever would have thought they would do--car-jackings and robberies of all kinds. I could imagine them doing all sorts of dark things out of fear to provide for basic needs.

Just like many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.



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