Challenge for Pakistan Relief Effort
"Opinion"08/26/2010
Paul Munnis
TWO things are required to make a Christian--piety and charity. The first has relation to worship, and in the last all social duties are involved.
Of the great importance of charity in the Christian character, some idea may be gained by the pointed question asked by an apostle--"If you love not your brother whom you have seen, how can you love God whom you have not seen?" There is no mistaking the meaning of this. It says, in the plainest language--"Piety without charity is nothing;" and yet how many thousands and hundreds of thousands around us expect to get to heaven by Sunday religion alone! Through the week they reach out their hands for money on the right and on the left, so eager for its attainment, that little or no regard is paid to the interests of others; and on Sunday, with a pious face, they attend church and enter into the most holy acts of worship, fondly imagining that they can be saved by mere acts of piety, while no regard for their fellow-man is in their hearts.
As a Christian, when I reflect upon the Life of Christ, it seems to me among other things to be an instruction on how to deal with the conflict between Christian, Muslim, and Jew. This is a social matter that we are instructed about and in these times we desperately need to pay attention to the lessons.
We are advised to throw off vendetta replacing insult with forgiveness and tolerance , to open our minds and hearts to others, and to bury all prior real or imagined outrage and insult in favor of building a better tomorrow.
Christ builds upon the most basic of human emotions and advises us to use them in a positive manner. Thus the idea of neighborly love, charity towards those in need, advice about things that are necessary to sustain life such as food, shelter, clothing, water -- these are all components of instruction to us.
These are ideals that all religions share and hold in common and thus the basis for brotherly love is indeed universal. We are encouraged to build upon this as a foundation for tranquility and peace.
It seems to me that the Pakistan floods and the Mosque Flap can be turned into positives if we want to do so. What we need do is set aside these debates, join hands, and organize ourselves to permit the people of Pakistan to survive.
When Church, Synagogue, and Mosque, work together to provide coordinated relief then a spirit of cooperation will allay the fear and suspicions and create a united bond. We need a shared moment of universal love for mankind and this catastrophe can forge that moment.
The people of Pakistan need food, shelter, clothing, and water. We have these in abundance here in the USA.
Every Church, Mosque, and Synagogue has clothing and flea market item sales; surely we could ask members to provide unused and cast off clothing items for shipment to the Pakistani people.
Surely we could hold special donor drives and afford to buy energy bars and to pay for shipment of the clothing and food items to Pakistan.
We are talking about small donations here but when joined together they represent a huge donation to a people in need. The secret lies in the multiplier effect. Millions of donors can make the difference and may be the only thing that can make a difference.
By showing the world that we understand the tenants of our religion and reaching out to help others then we demonstrate that love and charity conquers hate and terrorism. Such behavior can end wars and unite people.
Let’s throw off the mantel of hate and prejudice, recognize our membership in the family called “humanity,” and behave with love towards our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Pakistan.
I call upon the leaders of the Churches, Synagogues, and Mosques of America to meet, organize, and lead a massive relief effort to help the Pakistani people in their hour of need.
Hillary Clinton has started an effort through the U.S. State Department. The link is: http://www.state.gov/ and click on the DONATE button.
This is needed change and charity. We can do it – yes, we can!