A Good Idea: Planning Ahead On Tsunami Relief

I am part of a group made up of the leaders of various faith traditions in Hawaii. The group includes Jodo Buddhist, Seventh-Day Adventist, LDS (Mormon), the Hawaii Association of Buddhists, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Episcopal, etc. The main reason for meeting each month is to get to know and respect one another as persons and to grow in our understanding of what others believe. One of the long-range goals is to form personal relationships so that, if some circumstance arises where there might be a common concern (i.e. such as a series of criminal assaults against Muslims or a natural disaster) we would be better prepared to work together in response.

Today we did, in fact, share the common concern we have about the victims of the recent South Asia tsunami. Each of us and our various "churches" had, of course, already made donations through various aid agencies.

What concerned us, however, was what sort of needs might exist in 6+ months after the urgency of the immediate response had died down and the long-haul process of rebuilding the homes, factories, agricultural, economy and infrastructure began. Of special concern was the fate of thousands of orphaned children. Several countries, including Indonesia, have draconian adoption laws (one must be a resident in Indonesia for two years before being eligible to adopt). Who will care for these children? Already there are reports of Thai operatives recruiting displaced children for the sex trade that Thailand is so infamously known for.

Before we adjourned we had come up with a simple plan: In six months (late May/early-mid June) we will

1. Fly to Hawaii two or three native or foreign responders from one or more of the affected countries; ideally they would represent different faith groups;
2. Present them in various ways to the local news media to bring the ongoing tsunami drama back into the public eye;
3. Provide the people in Hawaii with information about what the current actual needs will be at that time and publicize the names of leading organizations involved with meeting those needs;
4. Encourage the people in Hawaii to make new donations to refill the depleted coffers of these relief organizations; and,
5. Put our money where our mouth is by setting one Sunday (or weekend) aside for all participating faith groups on Oahu to receive a special offering, which will then be distributed for tsunami relief through whatever agencies each faith group prefers.

This will not be the work of some interfaith bureaucracy (like a "council of churches") but, instead, simply be the coordinated effort of independent faith groups to draw attention to our common concern for our common humanity.

I like this idea. I like it so much that I would like to see it duplicated all across the United States and beyond. On the one hand, it will not dilute the doctrine or faith of any group but, on the other hand, it will promote mutual understanding and strengthen a sense of unity in the larger community.

There is no state in the United States with a smaller proportion of Christians or a larger proportion of other faiths (particularly Buddhist) than Hawaii. Perhaps it might send a good message to those countries in South Asia that continue to experience conflict and lack of trust between religious groups.

I pray that God will bless this effort so that it would be successful in all of its worthy goals.