Caring
Friday, March 18 2011
In the emergency room after President Reagan had been stabilized from his gunshot wound, humorously he asked if the doctors were all Republicans. Dr. Stat wonderfully replied, “Today, Mr. President, we are all Republicans.” This week and for weeks to come we are all Japanese. We have come so far since the 1940’s.
On one of the “all news all the time channels” this afternoon one of the commentators remarked that we should care about what happened because it could happen to us. Really? Really, is that the reason? Does it always have to be about us? Couldn’t we care about others and others’ pain even if we lived in an earthquake free zone? (There is no such place.) Can’t we look at another human no matter what color or whatever and just care?
When I see a kid come into one of my classes with his ball cap sitting cockeyed on his head, his boxer shorts showing six inches above his belt, his shades and a pair of ear plugs pumping rap into his brain, should I not care? I do. He doesn’t know it. He looks at me as an old white man who doesn’t know the time of day. Guess what? I do know the time of day. I do know that if I can keep this kid in college for four years he will walk across the platform accomplished and proud because he is most likely the first person in his family ever to go to college.
It’s about care. It’s not about you or me. It’s about them. It’s knowing they are dearly loved by the same Jesus who dearly loves us. It’s being a Christian.
__________________
On one of the “all news all the time channels” this afternoon one of the commentators remarked that we should care about what happened because it could happen to us. Really? Really, is that the reason? Does it always have to be about us? Couldn’t we care about others and others’ pain even if we lived in an earthquake free zone? (There is no such place.) Can’t we look at another human no matter what color or whatever and just care?
When I see a kid come into one of my classes with his ball cap sitting cockeyed on his head, his boxer shorts showing six inches above his belt, his shades and a pair of ear plugs pumping rap into his brain, should I not care? I do. He doesn’t know it. He looks at me as an old white man who doesn’t know the time of day. Guess what? I do know the time of day. I do know that if I can keep this kid in college for four years he will walk across the platform accomplished and proud because he is most likely the first person in his family ever to go to college.
It’s about care. It’s not about you or me. It’s about them. It’s knowing they are dearly loved by the same Jesus who dearly loves us. It’s being a Christian.
__________________