DISASTER IN HAITI

I have been watching with great interest the events that have been unfolding in Haiti. This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions. It is impossible to imagine what it is like to have 200,000 lives vanish in an instant. The loss of life and the loss of an entire way of living is just staggering. While things might one day be rebuilt even better than before (or so I hope), I think it is safe to say that things will never be the same.
One of the most difficult parts of this event has been the fact that we all feel helpless. If we could jump on a plane and go there many of us would. If we could bring people here to help them we would but we can’t. Every tear we see on TV and every person walking dazed through the street we would comfort if we only could. Yet there must be something we can do and of course there is.
1. We can pray. We are told, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Mt.21:22). When an event of this scope takes place we are reminded of just how small and fragile we are. It was a normal shifting movement of the earth yet with such devastating results. We can however see that God is big and that He is able to grasp the scope of this and he can bring hope and benefit from the tragedy and loss. Pray that God will be with the survivors of the earthquake, that He will heal the injured and meet the needs of the homeless poor there. Pray that he will be with those in authority to get aid to the needy and to begin to position themselves for meaningful recovery. Pray that God will work through the Christian missionaries and doctors and nurses that the light of Jesus will be seen in then.
2. We can contribute. Hopefully you have already considered what you can do to help the people there begin to turn their lives around. It is going to take a tremendous amount of money and resources to rebuild Port-au-Prince and it seems like our gift will make little difference but that is not true. Not only will our contributions make a difference but when channeled through organizations such as Hope for Haiti’s Children, Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team, Matthew 25 Ministries and other Christian organizations, the people there will see God reaching to them through the church. The potential for good there is literally impossible to calculate.
Ultimately I believe that the losses will be mourned, buildings will be rebuilt and scarred lives will move forward. We have the opportunity to help people remember that amidst the chaos, they saw Jesus in his church.