Thought for Today:

Genesis 43:9 . . . let me bear the blame forever.  

1 Samuel 29:3  . . . I have found no fault in him to this day."  

2 Corinthians 6:3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,  

1 Timothy 6:14 . . . to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,  

The words fault and blame appear few times in the Bible. Yet, as I watch the network news coverage of the disaster in Texas, much of the attention right now is on who is at fault, who should be pilloried on the sword of public condemnation. Every recent news conference seems to be singularly focused on which public official, camp owner or politician must carry the blame for the flooding on the Guadalupe River. This premature rush to judgment, long before the actual extent of the devastation has been determined seems characteristic of our current society.

It seems to me that most attention should properly now be focused on finding the lost and the dead, on cleaning up the detritus of the flood. Currently, the exact number of the dead and missing is still being determined. Past history of disasters suggests that some of those now missing are merely ‘misplaced.’ That history also suggests that all of the resources being consumed by the horde of media people who have descended upon Kerr County Texas, resources of time, food and shelter could be more fruitfully redirected toward clearing the debris from the river watershed and ascertaining exactly how many lives have been lost.

The news coverage of this disaster is archetypal of most events in our modern world of 24/7 news coverage. There is a great deal of ‘airtime’ to be filled each day; and, all of the sensationalism generates a great deal of very profitable advertising revenue. Long ago President Calvin Coolidge famously said, “The business of America is business.” While there is some truth in his words, there are other concerns which must be considered in all businesses. Ethics and morality cannot be ignored in any enterprises. The ‘greater public good’ must be considered in all businesses and industries.

Part of the problem in the allocation and use of things like our airways is defining exactly what the ‘greater public good’ actually is. In all human endeavors, there are legitimate differences of opinion concerning what constitutes the ‘greater public good.’ There are numerous factors influencing all of those legitimate differences of opinion. Education, economics, geography, ethnicity and many other considerations influence our understanding of the ‘greater public good.’

We live in one of the world’s most free and independent societies. We also live in one of the world’s most diverse societies, composed of folks from almost every imaginable part of the world. Regrettably, sometimes that means that some of us focus more on our rights than our responsibilities. I am totally opposed to censorship. I do not want any government or corporation restricting freedom of speech. Neither do I want any censorship imposed on what may be reported in our media.

I would, however, like to see some self-imposed responsibility by all the media in terms of limiting the sensationalism associated with reporting. Just once, it would be nice to see less panic-inducing reporting. Just once, it would be nice to see first responders given more time to respond and more freedom from blame. Just once it would be nice to pay less attention to immediately finding fault and more attention focused on compassion and care for victims.

I am a Christian in a pluralistic society. Even more, I am a Christian minister. I understand that I cannot force my cares and concerns for Christian love on others. However, other faith traditions also teach care and compassion. Even secular humanism understands the benefits of care and compassion. Focusing on taking care of each other, on helping each other benefits us all. Focusing on finding fault and assigning blame even before we know the extent of the devastation and loss of life doesn’t benefit anyone. Offering time and space for compassion, healing and grief should be the priority in any event involving the loss of life or limb. Finding fault and assigning blame is only of value in preventing future events.

Stay safe, care for each other, trust God,

Pastor Ray