Man is Pure Evil

I have always being under the impression that at his root, man (and woman for you feminists) was good. Yeah, he some times slipped up and did mean, bad, and selfish things, but I figured his deepest desire was to do good, and he only did bad when these desires became jaded or faded due to the complications of life and its circumstances. But in the wake of the past week, I can boldly say with all confidence and conviction: "MAN IS PURE EVIL!!!"

After 9/11, our country generally pulled together. We prayed together, we assisted each other, and we presented a united front that said, "We will not be defeated!!!" However, I can't say that we are doing the same after Hurricane Katrina.

Thousands of people have lost their lives and even more have lost the basic necessities (i.e. home, clothing, food, water) to live. Yet most of us a too caught up in our own bull crap to even try to help. My friend is a student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, and many families are coming over from Mississippi (I’ve loved spelling that since the second grade) looking for hotel rooms. But Alabama’s die heart football fans are refusing to give up their hotel reservations, because they’ve made plans to see Alabama’s football game over Labor Day weekend. Gas station owners are taking advantage of people’s fears, insecurities, and basic need to get from one place to another with $5.00 gas prices. Finally, Louisiana college students who have lost clothes, toiletries, etc. and have their money tied up in schools that are “closed indefinitely” are being asked for thousands of dollars worth of tuition up front from Georgia’s colleges and universities.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that your Labor Day weekend plans were made months in advance and you’ve never missed an Alabama football game in your life, but we are talking about people who have nowhere to sleep, live, or rest. Now that’s just evil. Your biggest worry is a football game when thousands are people are trying to regain the necessities you take advantage of everyday. And yes, I understand the concept of supply and demand (I took social studies and economics), but for gas to be $2.99 in one part of town and $4.99 in another is unacceptable. Why would you want to gouge prices when so many people are struggling to drive from one place to another, attempting to donate money to displaced families, and completely insecure about what will happen next. That’s just evil. And I know that it’s expensive for universities to operate, but these students aren’t trying to get over on you. They are just trying to get an education. You could not be so strapped for money that you cannot give these students until the end of the semester to pay the necessary fees. That’s just evil.

But what’s even sadder about this situation, is the people who are perpetrating these acts more than likely claim to be Christians. Again, I say with all boldness, conviction, and confidence: “THESE AREN’T CHRISTIANS!!!”

You see, being a Christian is about more than going to church once a week, paying your tithes, and praying at night before you go to bed. You don’t do those things for God; you do those things for yourself. You go to church so you can thank Him for what He’s done and get direction for what you should do next. You pay your tithes because God has given you the ability to make wealth and everything you have belongs to Him anyway. And most of us pray to ask for God’s protection and covering. In each case you get something from God; He doesn’t get anything from you. True Christians don’t just take from God; they give back to Him.

“How do you give to God?” you ask. You give back to God by serving His people. Mark 10:45 states: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” And since Christians should be living life like Christ, they should be doing the same. Serve God by taking care of His sheep, feeding His poor, clothing His naked, and caring for those in need.

I know you may not be capable of doing much, but we are all capable of doing something. Presently, I’m not in the predicament to give a dime to anyone, but I have a closet full of clothes I don’t wear that someone desperately needs right now. I have a cupboard full of can goods that I can do without for the next couple of weeks. And I have sacrificed a little extra time, so I can sit down and write this letter in hopes that it will be read and influence others.

Christians, let’s stop talking about Jesus and try harder to be like Him. Let’s take a second to stop worrying about what’s going on in our life and try a little harder to be concerned about others. I’m going to Hosea Feed the Homeless this evening to take some things and pray with some of the displaced families. I’m also writing letters to my alma mater, graduate institution, and other Georgia institutions that ask them to accept Louisiana college students without forcing them to pay fees upfront. What are you going to do?