Haiti Reflections

This will be the first in a series of reflections and thoughts on Haiti:

A Friday Morning
January 22nd, 2010
by Gail Rodgers

Have you, or a friend or family member, been personally affected by the tragedy in Haiti? If you’d like to speak with someone privately about it, contact us today.

This morning I turned on the coffee pot and headed for the shower. The warm water was instantly there. Clean hair, fresh towels, clean clothes … and coffee. Then I flipped on CNN.

The mass commotion on a main street in Port-au-Prince drew my attention. The camera zoomed in on a young man threateningly holding up a broken piece of concrete as a weapon.

As the images flash by it’s hard to imagine that this chaos is happening right this moment as I sip my coffee. It troubles my heart to see fellow human beings in such a depth of despair with little hope.

That devastating earthquake in Haiti is overwhelming. The pain is unbelievable, and the anguished faces etch their outline on our memories. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are frantically looking for loved ones. They have not so much as a blanket or a change of clothes much less a meal to eat. The help is coming, yet the need is so very great.

It’s easy to turn the TV off and continue on into my day. Can I shake off the uneasiness? Can I push the images of the wailing faces to the back of my mind and hurry on? I am so far removed from the chaos. I am so helpless to aid the breaking hearts …

The sun is shining. It’s a good day to wash the car perhaps … and on we go with our own lives. On we MUST go with our own lives. Thankful for today. Praying a prayer for Haiti that is hard to even find words for. What can I do?

I stop at my laptop. A quick search brings me to a donation page and before I leave I hit the button and send what seems like such an insignificant gift is the face of such need.

Yet my donation will join with many others and together they WILL make a difference. Together we, who have the privilege of going about our daily routine, will stop to share what we can with those who so desperately need it.

Sip your coffee with a grateful heart, yes. But take a moment to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti today. It’s what Jesus calls us to do.

Lord God, Thank you that we can represent You in Haiti today by giving what we can to be Your hands and feet to the hurting. Flood our hearts with generosity and care. Be very present in the midst of that chaos and make a way for help to flourish. In Your name we pray, amen.

Question: How does our faith compel us to help others? (Consider for example Romans 10:23-24: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”) Could you spare some funds to help in Haiti?