Have you ever noticed that when there is a catastrophe either caused by nature or by humans, a strange thing occurs?

After 9/11, people of all ages, all colors, all religions, and all political beliefs gathered to raise the flag, went to war, and united to fight a mortal enemy.  We prayed, we suffered, we held onto each other.

After Katrina, people of all ages, all colors, all religions, and all political beliefs gathered to find folks shelter, gave money, and united to rebuild a part of our nation that was devastated by nature.

In Texas, people of all ages, all colors, all religions and all political beliefs, endured danger to pull others from flood waters, prayed for those missing, and lifted each other up after suffering enormous loss.

In the middle of crisis or war no one sees color, age, or beliefs.

When it gets right to the core of survival, we must be rising to the call of our inherent goodness.  Right?

Why would God still be hanging on to us?  Perhaps, he still sees that we are worthy of his grace and his forgiving love.  He sees, as we all should, that we need each other.  When we save another, fight for another, or feed another, we become children of God.  This is who we are and what we need to remember in all that we do.

I am a huge sinner. I know all my pitfalls, and I know I have made God cry on more than a few occasions.

However, I also know that somewhere within me is the person who would go barefoot in the flood waters to save a child, a friend, a stranger, or even a pet.   

We had a little get together of friends over the Labor Day weekend in our neighborhood.  Judy was not able to attend.

She was in a hospital bed with a heart issue as well as pneumonia. Our thoughts were with her and her husband as we gathered on a beautiful, starry night.

“Let’s say a prayer for Judy,” the host implored.  The party was silenced as requests were sent.

“We need to get dinners prepared for a while after they return home,” Barbara stated as she searched for pencil and paper.

All volunteered. All became one to help another in need.

There are some folks that believe we are all rotten to the core. They believe our inherent good has been engulfed by materialism, by selfishness, and by greed. Frankly, sometimes when I watch the news, I come to think that myself.

When tragedy or calamities occur either in our own lives or in our collective lives, we rise to the standard by which God calls us to be.   The golden rule becomes viable and visible; shining like a beacon.

We see goodness every day. It does not make the local news at 5, but at 6 there are people still bringing dinners to friends that have fallen ill.  There are friends and strangers rushing to the aid of those that have found trouble or are in crisis.  All day, people are asking God for mercy, healing, and help.

The good in us should always stand tall against evil, fight injustice, and continue to pull others out of the floods of sadness that engulf so many. We should always be ready to answer the call.

There is a hero in all of us.  There is power in our hearts.  There is light within our darkness and hope that truly does spring eternal.  When we see soldiers battle in war, or neighbors pull folks out of harm’s way, or those with opposing political views and beliefs write a check to aid the downtrodden, we see good.    

The floods will recede. The towns will rebuild. The wars will be won or lost. We will forget the pictures of folk’s heroism and goodwill.

We will once again battle over our varying points of view.

Our politicians will continue to belittle themselves and us on occasion. We will disappoint others, ourselves, and God often.  Our altruism will be set on the backburner while our selfishness will be stewing in a pot and our inherent good will be in the warming drawer.   

However, there will be another crisis.  There will be another friend in need, and there will also be a voice within that becomes loud and mighty.

It is the call to goodness, and, rest assured, we as a people of all ages, all colors, all religions, and all political beliefs … will answer.