Seems That Way

Wow, thank goodness the problems in Myanmar are all fixed. That was fast, huh?

Of course, I am being sarcastic. But it seems like this horrible catastrophe--one of the worst in human history, if the numbers are to be believed--is no longer important enough to attract the attention of the American press. I admit, I don't stare at cable news all day, but I do turn it on a few times every day, and what are people talking about? Obama and gas prices. Am I wrong? That's how it seems to me. And Drudgebart.tv.com hasn't updated the Myanmar situation in a while. Google still has it at the top of their page.

I guess Myanmar is like Afghanistan. Just not sexy. Or maybe part of the problem is that Myanmar's bizarre, evil government is obstructing aid and press coverage. I thought Kathleen Blanco was the only governing official in the universe who would turn down aid during a major disaster, but apparently, I was mistaken. I should have remembered the leftist regime in Ethiopia, which created artificial famine by refusing food to citizens who didn't support the government's politics.

They're saying 100,000 people are probably dead because of Cyclone Nargis. I can't grasp the enormity of that figure. Dead bodies are rotting in the sun or clumping together, bloated, in bodies of water. As they did in Thailand and Indonesia. There aren't enough people to bury them. People are dying of starvation and disease and injuries and exposure. And somehow we have time for American Idol, but not Myanmar. Am I getting a warped picture because I never watch network TV? I can't believe this.

After Hurricane Andrew, Miami was on TV every day for weeks. Disaster tourists were a major problem. When I finally got electricity and television back, I saw them on the news, standing through the open moonroofs of cars and minivans, shooting footage of downed houses. Slowing traffic to a crawl. That was bad, but ignoring a disaster is much worse.

Maybe it's not just a human failing. Maybe it's God's judgment. Myanmar has an official policy of eradicating Christianity, and as I understand it, Myanmar's Jews could all fit in a school bus. Perhaps the lack of press coverage is part of the judgment.

It's peculiar that we are no longer allowed to hypothesize that God punishes nations and cities. It happened in the Bible a number of times. Sodom, Gomorrah, Babylon, Shiloh, Egypt, and even Israel as a whole. How many examples do you need? It's not offensive for a Christian to opine that a disaster may have been related to God's anger. It's common sense. If the God of the Bible exists, persecuting Jews or Christians is a very bad idea. So is afflicting the weak. The Torah said that if Israel didn't observe the sabbath and sabbath years, the land would spew the people out and give itself a sabbath. And that's what the land did. Trying to ban Christianity from an entire nation can't be a wise move.

I think about things like that a lot, in connection with my own failings. It's surprising, the list of things you can do to mess up your life. Things that don't spring to mind immediately when you think about sin. Failing to honor your parents. Failing to help the needy. Failing to support ministries. Harming the Jews. Failing to forgive. It's possible to work hard to be good and still do things that cause you problems. Purely from ignorance. And you may be unaware of proactive things you're required to do.

The other day I was watching an IFCJ video, and Rabbi Eckstein said Jews didn't understand how Christians came up with "the Ten Commandments," since the Torah is loaded with other commandments. True, the tablets from Mt. Sinai only contain ten, but there are many others. The Jews count 613. I don't suggest that Christians should obey every part of the Mosaic law, but you can learn a lot about God's desires by reading the Torah. And you can't say you haven't sinned just because you've obeyed the Ten Commandments. If that were true, things like kidnapping and incest would be okay.

On the one hand, I would not be surprised if the government of Myanmar caused this disaster by persecuting Christians. On the other, it's clear that we have a duty to help, now that it has happened. Shouldn't our journalists be doing all they can to provide coverage and keep our attention focused on the suffering? I believe they should. Maybe they are. We can't expect them to risk doing time in Burmese jails.

I know I'm inconsistent, using the term "Burmese," but I can't stomach "Myanmarese."

If you run over to World Vision's site, you'll see a video about their work in Myanmar. Admittedly, they are not being permitted to do much, but they have been there for decades, and they are probably a good bet if you're looking for a charity that will eventually be able to get something done there. Here's a link.

Enjoy your Sunday.