It's Not A Wonderful Life

Walking slowly down aisle 10, I’m not quite sure if I should be laughing or crying. The devastation is vast - hundreds of feet of shelving void of anything purchasable. I thought aloud, “At least they can clean the shelves easier now.”

Over the past week, most of us have seen or viewed photos of empty paper product shelves as panicked people scramble hoarding toilet paper. In seeing this, my mind went to Bedford Falls and the sensibility and morality of the movie character George Bailey. If you’re not familiar with the 1946 classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, George sacrifices his dream of traveling the world for running Bailey Building and Loan. He generously offers loans to the community in stark contrast to the maniacal dealings of bank competitor, Henry Potter, who wants to dissolve the building and loan. In the midst of this, there’s a crisis, a run on the bank where everyone wants all of their money now.

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Completely empty toilet paper and paper towel shelves in my local market. The scene is repeated everywhere I go. Other sections are wiped out, too. Panic is the manifestation of fear. Fear has nothing to do with love and everything to do with punishment and death.

The scene is set with the bank jammed with people demanding their money. And precisely like today, the physical money isn’t in the vault, so there’s only so much to give out. Despite the emotional irrationality of the people, George manages to save the building and loan using his honeymoon finances.

George’s plea is simple, “We have to stick together, we’ve got to have faith in each other.” And this is where my heart sinks. George uses his own money, begging people to take only what they need until the bank reopens. If everyone participates for the sake of others, the entire town is saved. One person refuses to cooperate and gets the hundreds he wants. In contrast, an elderly woman asks for just $17.50. And with a mere two dollars remaining, the bank stays open!

This is not a blog about economics, this is a piece on morality and humanity. As I visit market after market, hearing of people buying when they already have plenty, taking all they can, my heart breaks for humanity. Mingled amongst the selfish are those seeing a few boxes of cereal and taking just what they need, leaving some for others. Or taking just an eight pack of Scott tissue instead of the 30-pack, or five 30-packs. This is holy humanity! Whether having a faith or not they’re expressing of the image of Jesus! These are the people voluntarily seeking the betterment of society over a singular mindset of self-preservation expressed in hoarding. In reality, when we hoard, when refusing to give to those in need, we’re really afraid of death - but that’s for another discussion.

I have to ask myself, “What kind of person do I want to be?” Or better yet, “What kind of human should I be?” I don’t believe humanity evolved - if so, then hoarding is completely acceptable as I express survival of the fittest. I also don’t buy into the philosophy or the religion telling me that helping a person in need can be detrimental to my own spiritual progress. I believe in a God who gave his Son, sacrificed, and spoke truth so I could be redeemed and rescued. He then asks me to do the same, to sacrifice, to speak truth, to love and rescue. I believe in the spirit of Jesus in George Bailey, if we stick together looking not only to our own interests but in humility considering others better than ourselves, we’ll make it. If not, well, it’s not a wonderful life. 

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

— Philippians 2:3-4

Showing Your But. It’s Not Appropriate!

No, this is not about the Kardashians or Crossfit. This is about real life and it’s going to sting. Why? Because, after reading quite a bit over the past few days I’m convinced that unless I write a tome of the size of “War and Peace,” I’m going to leave something out, and someone, somewhere will be triggered, I just know it. So, bear with me for the next 800 or so words, this isn’t exhaustive. Feel free to chime in after. Part of the answer to this massive dilemma is collective unity, across the board.

The headlines were amazingly eye catching. “Protestors Carry Torches on Virginia Campus.” I clicked the bait. Squinting at the ridiculousness of it all, I laughed! I was expecting to see “Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman” torches and a few pitchforks. But Tiki torches? “Are they serious?” I thought. Are they headed to a backyard barbecue? Horseshoes, anyone? And although I laughed, my smile quickly faded. They looked ludicrous and they were dead serious.

Let me be crystal clear; there was absolutely nothing humorous about what took place in Charlottesville, VA. Racism is wrong. White supremacy is wrong. It’s wrong, ungodly, evil and atrocious! And when we speak of racism, Naziism or anything else lessening the worth of a human being, we have to stay on point. What I mean is this: A lot of articles compared Tiki totting, white evil in Charlottesville to the Black Lives Matter groups shooting cops and burning businesses. They seemed to express that one justified the other. You can't compare, and I’ll tell you why - just hold your socks for a moment longer.

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I'd thought this garbage was dead and gone, unfortunately, it isn't. This was taken at a rally in Easton, Pa, circa 1989 when I was a journalist. I didn't think this kind of thing existed, but it is alive and well - and it's evil!

There can be no “buts” in addressing racism. One group’s actions do not condone other’s.

Racism is wrong!

“But, they’re racist…”
“But, look what they did…”
"But…but…but!"

It. Is. Never. Justified.

Each incident must be critiqued independently. Comparison breeds numbness and indifference, with the lesser offense, even though heinous, looking acceptable in light of the more abhorrent. So, the parade of patio flames was nefarious and every other adjective applicable in describing the walking evil. Racism is wrong. And, the demolition of public property, the pulling down of statues is wrong, brainless and ineffectual. The former doesn’t justify the latter! Nor does the greater evil absolve the lesser. No buts about it!

They showed us their “buts…” and it wasn’t appropriate!

In Kindergarten we were supposed to have learned that two wrongs don’t make a right. How far we have fallen from, “Warm cookies and milk are good for you!” Some of the most prominent political pundits fell into the trap! They showed us their “buts…” and it wasn’t appropriate!

Lastly, what I find particularly reprehensible, even more so than the slowness of leaders and the President to renounce the Charlottesville Tiki toters is this: many marching, destroying, and hating identify as Christians!

So, what you’re telling me is this: you claim to follow a man who was 1) born in the middle east, 2) was Jewish, 3) was dark skinned, 4) was a stranger in this world, 5) spoke a different language than English - unless you believe Hollywood, 6) sacrificed himself so that others could be free, 7) allowed himself to be slapped on one cheek, insulted, and then offered the perpetrator the other, 8) kept his mouth shut when he was insulted, and yet you hate someone of another color, creed or religion? You're so easily offended! You declare, “Down with hate!” while wishing the opposition dead or burned alive? Wow! We need Jesus more than ever!

Some Christians need to get saved!

Every single person will one day give an account for their actions. No one gets absolved by being compared to Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao Zedong or Pol Pot! You are judged in the light of a perfect, holy God, not in the light of evil.

In the mean time, the only thing for evil to persist is for good people to do nothing. So…if you’re wrestling with what to do before you meet the Big Guy, here are some excellent suggestions.

• Speak up. If you haven’t already, find a voice against racism, bigotry, and injustice. It doesn’t have to be a big voice, but it has to be a voice.
• Listen up. Be intentional about listening to others who are different than you, and then, keep listening. Ignorance is not bliss; it’s unloving. Hint: It doesn't mean you have to agree!
• Seek and destroy. Not others, rather, the bits and pieces of racism, bigotry, hatred and injustice existing in your own heart. And if you don’t think you have any, you haven’t searched hard enough.
• Get leveled. Start looking at life through the correct lens. It may be “right for you” but is it right? Apparently, some believe racism is right! The only way to know truth is to seek Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the life, no one gets to the Father except through me.” Forget opinions and feelings, go for Truth! Then you'll have a proper gauge for right and wrong.
• Keep your buts to yourself. Judge and act on each situation independently. When you start comparing, you’ll give evil a foothold, and that’s all it needs to root, grow and fruit - in the most subtle of ways.

When they kept on questioning (Jesus), he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

Racism is always wrong. No buts about it!

Check out my other blogs on this issue: Eating the Elephant and America Gone Wild.