Nowhere To Turn

As the already impoverished people of New Orleans attempt to free themselves from the putrid liquid that engulfed them in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the spinmeisters and hucksters of the political realm are attempting to make partisan hay out of this tragedy. While Jesse Jackson and the Congressional Black Caucus try to paint the federal government's pitiful response to the hurricane as being indicative of George W. Bush's racism, the poor people of New Orleans are still alone. The reality is that this tragedy, like all others, will be remedied by the efforts, not of the Government, but private organizations and individuals acting out of pure compassion. From the Red Cross and Salvation Army to the Southern Baptist Convention, hundreds of private charitable organizations are making a positive impact on the lives of the downtrodden in Louisiana and Mississippi.

My question, however, is: where was all this compassion six months ago, or five years ago when the people of New Orleans were living in their poverty? And across this country, even today, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans living in utterly destitute conditions with no hope of ever coming out of them. The government tried for the last forty years to put an end to such poverty, and has failed miserably. It is time for the Church in this country to stand up with creative solutions to help people in need and glorify God by fulfilling Christ's second great command "Love thy neighbor."