I’ve had a difficult time discussing the events in Haiti because I’ve had a difficult time processing it all.
The day that the earthquake hit, I watched the Breaking News Report on CNN, but turned it to ESPN in time to see the basketball game. I was convicted shortly after of my apathetic and negligent response to a nation who had just been devastated.
For the next few nights I watched nothing but the news- I took in the horrific scenes of collapsed buildings with human arms and legs sticking out of the debris, of hundreds of thousands of orphans sleeping in make-shift tents or in the beds of trucks, of injured people unable to receive medical care and of bodies piled up in the streets- and I cried. And I felt helpless.
Over the weekend I went to a church service where we spent 5 minutes in prayer for the victims and took up an offering for relief. And i found that my sadness turned to anger as I continued to sit in the service. I felt like my chest was going to explode as I replayed in my mind over and over one of the prayers I had overheard: “God please just use this experience to make the citizens of Haiti a better and stronger people in the end.” I wanted to turn around and scream at her that if her own children and family had just been crushed by falling buildings that I doubt her prayer would be that these events would just make her “better” in the end.
I’m not knocking prayer for the people of Haiti or discouraging the giving of money. I truly believe that at this point, these are the two most powerful things we can do. But I’m nervous that we will begin to think ourselves righteous because we have thrown twenty dollars and five minutes of prayer at the situation and never give it another thought.
Haiti has long been one of the poorest countries in the world, and it sucks that it takes an earthquake that kills a significant portion of their population before we feel like maybe we should do something to help. I’ve been especially frustrated with the church’s response. When the media was reporting about the global reaction to the earthquake, we heard how the government was helping, how non-profits were responding, how troops were being flown in. We saw cell phone companies make it as simple to help as sending a text message, we saw celebrities host telethons….
I know that logistically it’s not possible for entire church congregations to fly over to Haiti right now; there is not even enough infrastructure for a sufficient number of doctors and medical teams to get there. But I believe that our reaction has been too slight. If we believe that prayer is powerful, why are we only devoting 5 minutes of a church service to it? Why are we not gathering together and begging God to bring healing and peace to this nation? We should be heartbroken over the things we have seen. If we believe the country needs money (which it does), why are we not selling our belongings so that the people of Haiti can have food to survive?
Let me be clear, I am including myself in this. My reaction has not been glorifying to God, and I’m asking Him to change that in me and give me a compassion like His that would motivate a radical shift in my thinking and actions.
Let me make this point as well: we are not called to respond to poverty and injustice only when that poverty is highlighted by a tragic occurrence. We are called to respond daily- to all cases of injustice- and to respond to with our lives.
We should pray that God would drastically reshape the way we respond and react to the world around us. I don’t have all the answers, but I know this is not right.
I have seen God at work, though. I saw a news special where a couple had donated their wedding budget to Haiti relief. I got a phone call yesterday saying that my high school had decided to cancel prom and use their funds as donations. Both these instances show people making sacrifices so that the needs of others can be met. My hope is that we will see more of this; and not just in regards to Haiti, but towards those who are suffering in all parts of the world- from Haiti to Darfur to Columbia.
Jesus,
Forgive us for our apathy and our blatant disobedience to what you have called us to. Teach us to love like you love and move us to respond in a way that is glorifying to you. I pray that human suffering would never become normal to us but that it would continually break our hearts the way it breaks yours. Forbid us from thinking we are blessed to live in a nation where global suffering is hidden from us, and remind us that it our calling to carry the burdens of others, regardless of nationality or country borders. Be with the people of Haiti and be their everything- their comfort, healing, peace, sustenance, strength, redemption, rescue; anything they need in any given moment is exactly what you are capable of providing. Thank you that care for the suffering. And thank you that you care for us, even when we fail to care for others the way you want us to.
