There was a picture on the front page of the Post a few days ago of a little boy in Mexico that some believe may have been among the first to contract the Swine Flu, and therefore initiate what appears to be a world-wide pandemic. The article noted that it was impossible to know with certainty exactly where and within whom the virus first attacked a human being. As I read that disclaimer and then looked again at the picture of the little boy, I could not help but wonder at the disservice done to him by the voyeurism of the American media. As the article continued, the boy's mother lamented the attention being given to her son and the stigma she feared might be placed upon him as a result. "'I don't have words, I don't have answers,' said (the boy's mother) as she cried under a portrait of Jesus in her living room. 'I feel terrible about all of this, because the people are thinking that this was all my son's fault. I don't think it is anyone's fault.'"{Washington Post, April 29, Sec. A1} This story is a tragic reminder of the disservice done to others when they are exploited by stories based on partial or unproven facts. It is shameful in a Mexican village thousands of miles away and it is shameful in the stories we often tell or listen to in our own circles of influence. Yes, we need to know important facts about this illness and all that can be done to treat it and prevent its spread. However, this knowledge does not need to come forward through human exploitation and degradation. Your thoughts???
Jim Abernathy
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Perhaps one explanation for this picture and the accompanying article is that we humans seem to frequently feel the need to be able to point to a temporal first cause for the evil and suffering that we see and experience in this world. Such pointing sometimes makes us feel better and perhaps more secure. The Bible is filled with acounts of people looking for answers to evil and suffering in their lives, even questioning God why He would allow such things. Today, we sometimes engange in shameful blaming, degradation, and even exploitation of others to make ourselves look and feel better, with little regard for the facts. Jesus in Matthew 5 calls this type of behavior -- where we condemn or gossip about our brothers -- nothing short of murder in the heart. I pray that I and others will use this incident within the overall emerging story of the suffering associated with the swine flu outbreak to listen more closely to the words of our Lord given to us in the next chapter of the sermon on the mount: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
ReplyDeleteWhile it is certainly of crucial import for doctors and researchers to know where it started in the hopes of developing a vaccine, and I too believe the media culture has become way too intrusive; I think this "controversy" is a much more interesting commentary on people worrying too much about other people’s opinions. Are there really people saying "so, it's HIS fault"?
ReplyDeleteI know my first thought at seeing that article/picture was not ‘gosh, people will blame this little boy.’ My first thought was ‘how charming that he thinks ice cream cured him.’
We don’t give people enough credit in this world. I am sure more people were chuckling at his ice cream comment than finding a convenient place for blame.