Let’s Talk Religion: Can churches do more?
I know it has been a while since I have written an opinion article in the religion section. To be honest, I haven’t felt passionate about any particular issue until recently. Now that I have seen the devastation from Hurricane Dorian, it made me think about previous natural disasters and whether or not our churches do enough when those disasters hit.
Hurricane Dorian totally wiped out the Bahamas, by all accounts. The then Category 5 storm left an estimated 70,000 people homeless and the death toll at 45 and climbing.
When I think about disasters that hit and crushed the U.S. such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires, I sit back and wonder how those affected by these disasters made it through and how the church communities responded to those in need.
As a reporter, I have had the opportunity to cover how the religious community responds to natural disasters. I remember the tornado that hit the eastern portion of Greensboro last year. The response from the religious community was swift and effective, as I saw thousands of supplies and relief efforts head toward the city.
My question is, could more have been done to help those in need? I personally know someone who was left without a home after the tornado. Their entire neighborhood was devastated by the tornado. They were homeless for three days until a family member was able to house them in another city. I truly believe, with all the churches that are in the Triad area, no one should have gone without shelter or food.
It’s not like there were a million people that needed shelter. The tornado hit a small area of the city, so those people should have been taken care of, regardless of where their home church was located. Federal emergency agencies should not have been needed in a situation like this, as opposed to a large-scale disaster like Hurricane Katrina.
I remember when the W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets were the talk of the town. I am not a Biblical historian, but I think if He were walking the earth, He would have made sure that everyone had what they needed in their time of desperation.
I am not bashing any particular church or saying they don’t do enough for those during disasters. I am simply wondering, could more have been done? I just feel the community pours so much into the church and those resources can be used to help more people.
