Haiti – What Can You Do?

By Curtis

The more we see about the earthquake in Haiti, the more we realize that this tragedy is bigger and more horrific than we first imagined. Words like “surreal” and “unbelievable” help summarize the reports we see and hear from the eye witnesses on the ground. For those who died in Haiti, the world did come to an end.

People and organizations are marshalling their efforts to try and help in this far-reaching catastrophe. The help needed is beyond the scope of cookie cutter relief efforts. Compounding the challenges of providing medical help, food relief and shelter is the logistical nightmare of doing it in the midst of the cruel tombs of those who have perished.

Our hearts are correct when they say we must do something to help. Those impulses we feel within us for helping in this crisis are the promptings that give nobility and brotherhood to mankind. But what can you do?

Today, we are limited to our prayers and our financial donations. Both are greatly needed. All of us can contribute in those ways. We may not have much money to give but whatever it is will help someone who needs it much more than we do. Give something, please.

Another thing we can do is to resist the urge to find a justifiable reason for what has happened to Haiti. For some reason, many feel the need to explain these events as a divine sentence from God because of some inherent evil either in the country or the people of Haiti. How sad that we have room in our hearts to think in these ways during times like this.

The question of calamities being the result of divine retribution is not a new one. It has perplexed man throughout the ages. Even in Christ’s time, many were confused in their theology concerning unusual tragedies:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luke 13:1-5 NIV

If we all simply took an honest inventory of our own lives, or own failures, our own tendencies to do things we know we shouldn’t, we would not have the arrogance to differentiate between ourselves and those less fortunate. That honest introspection should lead us all to say “if not for the grace of God”.

What can you do? Do what you can. Anything is better than nothing.