Maui: There but for the grace of God go all

OPINION:

President Biden made a much-awaited, widely watched visit to the devastation called Maui fire, and with the ghosts of more than 100 dead drifting in the background, cracked jokes and giggled about a cadaver dog and a “hot ground,” or something-something too stupid to comprehend.

It’s notable that not only did it take Biden 13 days to visit Maui, but that after his comic bit, most probably wished he stayed in D.C.

Biden is a poor leader — and that’s an understatement. 

“You guys catch the boots out here? That’s a hot ground, man,” he snarked, while patting Dexter the body-hunting dog. Then he turned to members of the media and pointed at the boots on the cadaver dog’s paws.

That’s to be expected from Biden.

He’s the Dufus-In-Chief.

He’s the pretend leader of the free world, the puppet of globalist puppet masters; the One Whom Nobody Respects.

But the crowd surrounding Biden laughed. Members of the presidential fawn club smiled at his crass comments.

This seems a good moment in history to remind of 1 Corinthians 15:10, the passage that reads, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

There but for the grace of God go I — it’s a principle Biden, yes even Biden, ought to have kept in mind while visiting Maui; it’s an attitude of humility his smiling sycophants could have adopted while he was cutting his insensitive jokes at the expense of, well, the dead and dying, the grieving and mourning, the suffering and sorrowful.

From USA Today: “Ashley Correa has a lot of questions about the government’s response to the wildfires that devastated her home island of Maui. Why wasn’t it faster? … The 32-year-old real estate agent who has been part of private efforts to help friends, family and fellow Maui residents recover from the deadly wildfires hoped President Joe Biden would get local feedback during his visit … to inspire him ‘to do more to help. … Maybe he needs that firsthand, in-person experience,’ Correa said.”

Apparently not.

Biden was tone-deaf.

It reminds of the time President Barack Obama delivered quick remarks about how “heartbroken” he was over the ISIS beheading of American journalist James Foley — and then went golfing.

Elitists, no matter how hard they try, can never get the sympathy thing quite right because deep down they don’t empathize. They don’t feel genuine feelings of sadness or remorse or sorrow for others’ plights. They can’t keep themselves from sighing and tapping their feet in boredom or impatience while the tragedy of others unfolds before their very eyes.

“Gold Star families blast Biden for checking watch during ceremony for fallen,” the New York Post wrote two years ago, after the bodies of U.S. Marines killed in the Biden-led debacle called Afghanistan Withdrawal were off-loaded from the plane during what was supposed to be a somber ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.

“They would release the salute,” said one father at the ceremony, grieving his killed Marine son, the New York Post reported, “and [Biden] looked down at his watch on every last one. All 13, he looked down at his watch.”

Maui victims should perhaps feel lucky that Biden was in a comedic mood during his island visit, rather than pressed for time.

Here’s the theme, though, that most Americans, save the vilest, understand: When tragedy strikes, it’s not only time to reflect on the victims’ circumstances and do everything within individual power to help with their suffering — donations of time, money, resources; prayers, petitions and more prayers — but also to reflect on the goodness of God.

Things are never so bad they can’t get worse.

Things are never so terrible that God’s light is totally darkened; that His blessings can’t be seen; that His presence can’t be felt.

A person with a spirit of humility and obedience will try and be that ray of light.

A person with a spirit of arrogance and pride only pretends to care about being that ray of light.

Text HAWAII to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross efforts for Maui. It works. And if not there, pick another.

Imagine going home — to no home.

There but for the grace of God, go all.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE  or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.