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.

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