At least 36 people were killed in a stampede during a New Year’s celebration that took place in downtown Shanghai. Dozens of others were injured in the tragic chaos that occurred about a half hour before midnight.

The exact cause of the stampede was not immediately clear, but there were some reports that some fliers resembling $100 bills were released from the top of a building. There was speculation that many people rushed to collect these bills, causing the stampede.

If this is found to be the true cause of this senseless loss of human life, it can be blamed on the sin of greed. Perhaps some lost their own lives because of their desire to have something that wasn’t theirs. Or perhaps some greedy people survived, but their selfish actions led to the death or injury of another person.

Let this be a reminder that the Bible continually warns against the sin of greed. Jesus has this to say about the subject—“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15).