Like a lot of other people, I have been watching the news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I grew up in Texas near the Gulf coast. We often went to the beach at Galveston during the summer to swim and play in the sand. Though the beaches from what I understand in Texas are still clear, most of the Gulf coast has been effected and will be effected by this oil spill. It is difficult to watch as we have access to watch the oil coming out of the broken pipe at the bottom of the ocean floor. It is difficult to imagine that years of damage this is doing to the coast line and to animals in the water. Not to mention the livelihood of those who depend on the ocean.
This explosion seems to be the exception rather than the rule thankfully. I can remember looking out at the shoreline and seeing oil rigs for as long as I remember. In fact, when I went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina last year the thing that struck me was that there are no oil rigs there-- at least not yet. The accident occurred not because of the oil rig itself, but it seems because safety measures that should have been taken were not. To the point that the rig itself was unsafe and not built to standards. This was all done in the name of trying to save money and make money. In a word, this happened because of greed.
I am not saying that the oil rig workers themselves were the ones who caused this. I am sure that most of the employees at BP are honest, hard working folks. I believe though from what I have heard that the people at the corporate level knew that they were cutting corners and allowed it even though they knew it was unsafe. That disregard for the safety and welfare of others is disturbing and the exact opposite of what the gospels tell us to do in treating other people. Jesus tells us that the most important commands of all are to love God and love others. How is this disregard for others demonstrating love?
There are serious consequences when we try to live and work in a manner that is in contrast to the gospel. When we disregard the safety of others. Eventually these things come back to a time of reaping what was sowed. If I sow good thoughts and positive actions, I believe that it eventually will come back to me. If I disregard God's laws and commands, it may not happen today or tomorrow, but one day there will be a day of judgment, a day to pay for what I have done. Unfortunately, people all along the Gulf coast are also having to pay for the sins of others and not their own. That is part of it to, when there are consequences, those consequences often effect others around us.
Latest Update about the Spill
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100702-706157.html
