Looking at the breakdown of civility in New Orleans, Michael Spencer (the Internet Monk) provides his analysis in “What are we seeing in New Orleans?” For those of you who don’t like to read too much, I’ll summarize some of his points here. But it would be better for you to read his post in its totality.

1. “I think we are seeing a turning point in the perception of America in the world.” Spencer believes that the world will now perceive the United States to be a country that is easily panicked and easily driven to a chaotic lawlessness as is now enveloping New Orleans. Terrorists, he fears, will be encouraged by what they are seeing.

2. “I believe we are witnessing a turning point in the perception of the urban poor in America.” Specifically, Spencer identifies the African-American community in New Orleans and points to the lawless actions of African-American looters and policemen. “What America is seeing,” he writes, “is not the African-American community’s finest hour.” He fears that prejudices will be confirmed and “re-energized” by the events unfolding there.

3. “I believe we are witnessing a revelation of the impotence of government.” Spencer writes,

I saw the governor almost crying during a press conference. And, of course, I’d seen the mayor of New Orleans looking like a whipped dog the day before, asking for FEMA help.

“They all sounded like little, squeaking, micro-people on a planet of giants running amuck. Their words carried no weight or authority.”

He predicts ( in a post written earlier today) “there will soon be shots in the streets of New Orleans, as the government will have no choice but to shoot its own citizens in order to restore order.”

4. “I fear we are watching the first of many future episodes of social chaos in America.” He sees frightening parallels between what is transpiring in New Orleans to what took place in ancient Rome prior to its fall to the barbarians. He points to the government, education, families, and the media as at least partially responsible for the deterioration unfolding in the city.

In the comments section, Spencer clarifies that “It is a culture problem. Not a race problem.” In another comment, he adds:

Please….as we look with compassion we can’t excuse the evil. The social breakdown that has brought this has little to do with a Hurricane and a lot to do with the culture we are creating among the poor in our cities.”

It is unclear - to me, at least - exactly where Spencer places the blame for what is happening in New Orleans. I don’t know that I agree with his assessment or his predictions; I do know that I do not share his harsh criticism of the governor and mayor: they are overwhelmed, too, and undoubtedly feel helpless and hopeless in the face of the disaster. They carry the weight and responsibility of leadership in a situation beyond the control of any human leader. Further, they are hardly to blame for all the evil taking place in the city: each person is responsible for their own sins.

Spencer certainly paints with a broad brush and seems to locate the problem in the socio-economic and cultural sensibilities of many citizens of New Orleans. At the risk of also painting with too broad a brush, I’ll offer the following observations.

What is transpiring in New Orleans is not a racial, cultural, or economic problem. I cannot bring myself to fault anyone for “looting” in order to find food and water to survive. Martial law has been declared and, if I were king, I would give orders to assist those “stealing” food and necessary supplies - including medications - and to shoot those stealing guns, luxury items, or threatening the well-being of any other person. Perhaps thousands of innocent people have died in New Orleans; it seems fitting to have people guilty of heinous and unconscionable crimes join them.

What is happening in New Orleans is the natural consequence of a deterioration of moral standards in the city. Many of the inner-city residents - and especially those who prospered from the immorality of Bourbon Street and its appeal to base desires - are both victimizing and being victimized by the absence of morality among some of those who remained during the hurricane. They are unrestrained, lacking an internal basis for morality. They are not living like animals, as some have suggested, but are living like humans lacking God-established controls.

They have sown the wind, as Hosea said, and they are reaping the whirlwind. Not the whirlwind of Katrina, but a whirlwind far worse and far more dangerous: the whirlwind of wickedness residing in the human heart. A minority - an immoral minority - is exploiting the absence of law and creating disorder. They are preying upon the weak and demonstrating that what God has said about the unaided, unrestrained human heart is tragically true. There are none righteous. We are desperately wicked.

To be sure, there are many good people in New Orleans who have sought to reform and redeem the city for years. It has been my experience that where sin is strong, so are the churches and Christians that live nearby. I am confident such is the case in New Orleans, too.

But it is an uphill battle for them and one they will not likely win. The United States is a democracy, not a theocracy, and individuals are free to reject the morality of truth and live outside the law - not outside the law of the land, but outside the law of God. Some people will live as close to the edge of lawlessness as those in power will allow. And when the threat of consequences and punishment is removed, the evil in their hearts runs wild in the streets.

Addendum: There are more than a few reports of people trapped in the flooded city of New Orleans who are criticizing the government for failing to provide help and rescue quickly enough. It is tempting to be angry with such people and to respond with our own criticism of them. But should we really expect any different response? We have taught generations of people to look to the government for salvation, hope, and deliverance. The government, we have been told, can solve all problems and meet all needs. That lie is now being exposed, but we can hardly fault those people who have been sold these empty promises for demanding that the government deliver.


2 Cor 1.13