Driving to work this morning, listening to the wolf wakeup show, bet you'd never guess the topic of conversation: That's right, BP. Oil spill this, boycott BP that. And I got to thinking.
Call me un-American, but has anyone thought to pray for the BP big-wigs? Sure, I'm all for cleaning up the mess, and fixing the mistake, but that's just it....a mistake. Maybe I'm naive about the whole scenario, but I find it incredibly improbable that Tony Hayward sat in his office thinking it would do BP well to bust an oil tank in the gulf.
I, as much as anyone, find it heartbreaking that a disaster [to the perfect planet God gave us] this widespread with effects that are estimated to last 10-15 years are created by man. I hate watching footage of baby birds being dug out of beach muck covered in oil, and I love the ocean - a clean, thriving, healthy ocean - but I just find it unfathomable that the execs of BP are malicious in their intent. In true American fashion, every man seems to have the solution, and everyone heirs the attitude that they're smarter than those handling the situation. I'm kinda tired of it...
Thus, I heard that little voice in my head this morning, spurring my thoughts deviate from the norm, and from how I've viewed the scenario all along. Not necessarily change my view on it, because it is terrible, and does need to be promptly fixed, but my mind was opened to the other side.
What would happen if we, myself and fellow Christians, prayed for BP? Prayer for wisdom for the powerful people in BP, and other corporations involved in this huge dilemma. Even more so, prayed for comfort and peace for Tony Hayward, and the rest of his associates. Have you stopped to think about the pressure that's been placed on this man? Imagine the turmoil in his mind 24/7. Imagine the pressure, and hatred, and stress that has been placed on his shoulders. I for one, don't think I could handle that stress. So call me crazy, but I think it's important to pray for peace in Mr. Hayward's mind, and wisdom, and comfort. Because after all, it was a mistake. Granted, a very costly one, but again, I don't feel his intent was malicious.
In John 8:7, Jesus says
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." He's referring to a woman found guilty of adultery, but to me the specific act is indifferent. What I'm saying, is that rather than throwing stones at BP, shouldn't we as Christians show love, when the rest of the country is persecuting? Don't get me wrong, it is a huge problem, and needs to be fixed. There should be repercussions - I'm
not saying we should all just blindly say "oops, oh well, it's ok, he didn't mean to", but rather than acting all knowledgeable about the situation, put some trust in the Lord. Ask for His favor over all the minds working on the situation, and frankly, give the guy a break.
So for me, I'm choosing to pray for Tony Hayward. Because you know this man has [literally] the weight of the world on his shoulders. Because I believe a mind at peace, or a mind that has at least a shred of peace will conceive a far better solution than a mind in turmoil. I don't even know if He's a Christian, but I think he's gonna need God's grace and faithfulness to pull him out of this hole that's been dug for him.
Call me crazy [which I fully expect some might after reading this], but aren't Christians supposed to think differently than the world? I just have a heart full of compassion for this man this morning, and can't help but be burdened by the fact that everyone's hating and berating him, and no one's loving him, when our purpose in life is to love.
Enough soapbox, back to work.
C
