Reflections on the Week/Haiti

Last Friday (Jan. 8), I attended the funeral of a friend that has spent most of his life in the mission fields around the world. Most recently, he and his wife have been Port Au Prince, Haiti. They were home on a a visit and making plans to return when my friend had a stroke and died.

I mention this to say that there are many missionaries that are in Haiti. Our church has sponsored a work in Jeremy. My brother-in-law's niece has been there in the past and is already back in Haiti after the earthquake last Tuesday. Many of God's faithful have been there, are there now and are making plans to go to give aid and comfort to the people of Haiti. Christian organizations and non-Christian charitable organizations are making their way to Haiti or sending supplies.

Controversy that is a result of comments that have been made by a couple of television and radio personalities have been given way too much attention. Whether the comments were said maliciously (Rush) or without thought to the insensitivity and negative impact (Robertson) they should be dismissed as being made by a small and sad minority in America. I doubt that are very many hard-core conservatives that would agree with Limbaugh that our President is using this as a political opportunity and wants you to go to http://whitehouse.gov just so that they can get your e-mail address to solicit political contributions for his next campaign. I wonder what Rush (who encouraged listeners NOT to send money) thinks about the Clinton-Bush cooperation to bring relief to Haiti.
I also doubt that many Christians see this earthquake as a judgment on Haiti for a contract with the devil that was made a century ago.

I choose to believe that the vast majority of Americans--conservatives and liberals, Christians and non-Christians, rich and poor--mourn along with the people of Haiti. The loss of life has been great (and many are still missing). The loss of property has been great. The infrastructure (that was poor to begin with) is now practically non-existent. They need help in every area of life--from the immediate rescue, recovery and survival to the long term rebuilding of their country. Millions of dollars have already been donated. Military people and civilians have already arrived in Haiti to offer aid to the reeling citizens of the poor island country.

Our own country is suffering with its own economic disaster--and yet people are donating millions of dollars. Why? Because it's what we do. We help people all around the world. It doesn't matter what the politics of the country is. It doesn't matter what religious beliefs the people have. It doesn't even matter that we are struggling with finances in our own country. Today--when people need help facing the latest natural disaster--Americans will rush to their aid. Tomorrow we may have to endure the hatred and criticism of the world's nations. Tomorrow we may face our own disasters by ourselves.

But today, the presence and prosperity of America will be highly valued by those that are in need.

Today I'll just sign off as--

One Proud American <><