Get back to our hearts

We are still the wealthiest nation in the world despite Obama. We create, and distribute more wealth hourly then any 2 other countries combined, but we still don't use our prosperity well. In my city there is a monstrosity of a convention center being shoe horned into a half dead downtown that the people did not want to the tune of 20 million dollars....but every day I see mentally challenged homeless sleeping behind an air conditioning unit at our church. I know of small children going without food or having proper clothing. Now I am NOT a social liberal nor even a person bent on saving everyone. But what I think all of us should be is compassionate, and leaving any human who is unable to take care of themselves to die is somehow cruel. I read in the paper today where a local community is all excited about a grant that will give them a park! Yea for them....really? The economy is in the tank and grants come from tax money folks!! Do we really need another basketball court or splash pad right now? It seems we in this country have lost sight of things, we are looking with blinders on. Our indifference to everything has become a lethal dose of what can you do for me. We build walking trails, splash pads, basketball courts etc......they did that in our town too, and the biggest turn out at the basketball court is on Tuesday night when a local group comes and feeds and ministers to the people there, what does that say for our priorities. I do not believe in a Robin Hood society, I don't think Obama's idea to take from the rich to give to the poor is the way to go, I just think those who can help, should. I also believe a community has the obligation to encourage and enable anything that can help people find a job and be a fit parent. In this country we build billion dollar skyscrapers, sell 100,000 dollar cars, we pay athletes an insane and frankly appalling amount of money to play a GAME! All the while not helping the guy next door pay a light bill while he is out of work or offering to watch the kids of the single mom so she can go job hunting. Or invite a family over for dinner that has little. We start programs in our churches that nobody follows through on. We make up excuses for our lack of compassion. The spirit of which I speak used to be ever present in America. Small communities especially would gather together for a gathering of food for a needy family, programs were started and ran for free by neighbors and church members. When a man said he would help he showed up. When people said they were committed to something they actually were and they followed through. You can blame everything in this country on others and sometimes I am guilty of that, but it really does start with you. Do something, anything, if you say you will do something follow through. Give encouragement, give of your time, be the person you would want around if you were hurting. Watch the neighbors kids so they can go out for an evening. As a country we sit around with our hands out instead of giving a hand up. Don't just say that is the governments responsibility because it is not... it is ours. And I think that when we once again become a compassionate nation, then government will become smaller and we will become who we once were. Greed has nothing to do with it, but insistent self reliance and self isolation does. We hide behind the doors of our houses to shield us from the world. We drive our fancy cars right by the homeless shelter where people we went to school with are staying. We sit in church and watch the offering plate pass by because we have too many bills this month to give. We drive by the small children sitting outside on the porch to escape the heat inside as we go to the drive in for Happy Hour Soda pops. When did we become so disconnected folks?? What's wrong here???? And how do we get back to our hearts? Beacause we must if we want this country to survive.