The Reasons Behind Charity

It is hardly the beginning of a new year, and yet so many strange things are already happening. Those near the Indian Ocean have experienced a tsunami beyond imagining. Here at home we see the West experiencing disasters of a near similar kind. The West is either being washed away by mud and water, or covered by more snow than they have ever seen.

While all that is going on, here in Tennessee with near record warmth for January, I ponder the imponderable of how terrible it would be to experience that kind of devastation. How would it be to have your loved ones swept away from your grasp, to never be seen again? Or perhaps, not quite as bad, my house . . . And as I watch the pictures on the news of those strong people, both here and abroad, I ponder about what the differences are between them.

You see, I am not the kind to look at our misfortune and forget about others. Yet, somehow it bothers me how I hear about all the aid we are delivering to Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and India; and I don't hear about much aid being given to those in California and Nevada. Should we help where we can? Yes! Should we help because it's the political thing to do? Not really. Should we help when others are suffering at home and we're already in debt? I'm not quite sure about that.

I just hope that when all is said and done, there will not be families overlooked just because they are Californian and not from another country that would look good politically to help. I also hope however, that we as individuals will take it upon ourselves to give and to help where we can . . . to everyone who needs it.