Attitudes of emergency Preparedness (Some Basics)

Stephanie has an interesting article she wrote entitled, “Emergency Preparedness (Some Basics”).

It’s a very thorough article and she includes many things that I certainly had never thought of. It would probably be a good idea to take Stephanie’s article and compile a list of things to buy and save over time, “just in case.”

One thing that really bothers me about the “survivalist” mindset however, is the attitude of saving your own butt; the hell with anyone else! I don’t think it’s just inclusive to just non-Catholic Christians either. I vividly remember the Y2K scare and being on a Catholic mom’s board where we were exhorted to basically prepare for the end of the world as we know it! Some moms had stockpiles of food, some had even built shelters and special Y2K homes. It’s not that I don’t think we should be prepared, but it bothers me that I don’t hear of any contingents for helping anyone else. In fact, I sort of got the feeling that if you wouldn’t or couldn’t buy that $2000 generator you were more or less screwed, and it was too bad, but… oh well.

My grandparents lived through the great depression as did my in-laws. I remember many stories about, “so and so came to the door” and there was always the attitude of sharing what they had, making room for one more, helping out the souls that crossed your path or asked for your help.

In my post about movies for teens, I listed Grapes of Wrath (1940) as one of the movies I want my children to see. In that depression-era movie, Mama Joad always offers hospitality to those around her and frets when she is unable. She has an attitude of care and concern for others outside of her family as well.

Overall though, while I think it is good to be prepared, I do not think it’s something to be obsessed about. I find the attitude of Jesus Christ to be more realistic and comforting.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt. 6:25-26 )