Helping Haitians

Having visited Haiti several times on mission trips, it is overwhelming to think of this nation having to deal with tragedy of any magnitude. These people are barely alive, scraping by as the only truly third world nation in the Western Hemisphere. Their existence is day to day and the poorest of our poor live as the truly rich by Haitian standards.

The inevitable "why" cannot help but creep in. Who knows for what reason God has allowed such tragedy to befall this nation? Who knows what glory He desires to be brought to himself through it? Pat Robertson's comments that the nation has been cursed as a result of their pact with the devil may or may not have any truth to it. But how would he know? And how does it profit these people to make such a comment, particularly now?

The Christian communities I'm intimately connected with are already asking how they can help. What can they do? You can text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts there. You can donate to the Lazarus Project (see www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org for more information). Compassion International is in Haiti, or you can donate through IDES (www.ides.org). There are many arms of the church already present in the midst of these people.

But we can also pray, that these people will feel the love of God through His people even in the midst of this tragedy. Its difficult not to blame him when something like this happens -- particularly to those who seem least equipped to handle it. The amount of suffering in the world is vast, and modern technology has now brought it to our doorstep. So pray, give if you're led. But let our discipleship not be confined to a place we may never go. Let us express our obedience and devotion first and foremost to those whom God has put right in front of us.