Aftershocks

Haiti is haunting me. I can't get these people off my mind...the unimaginable images of destruction and loss...the faces of the children.

This morning during her sermon, Pastor Stephanie recalled a story from her experience in Haiti while on a servant trip with her previous congregation. She told of walking along the beach with a friend, and seeing a man in the distance carrying something in his arms. When they met, Stephanie realized that the man was carrying an infant. Shortly after they passed, the man ran back to them...and in broken English, begged them to take his child.

That was 5 years ago...I can only imagine the situation now. This week I have dreamt of becoming a doctor...have envied doctors, simply because they are able to do something tangible to help. I have cried...many times. I have also had to explain the Newsweek layout which pictured a man maneuvering his way through dead bodies on the streets of Port-au-Prince to Collin and Aaron.

I am certain of only one thing...it's not as Mr. Pat Robertson claims, the Haitian people did not deserve this. No one deserves this. As a fellow Christian...and a citizen of humanity, we are called to do whatever we can to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

So...this afternoon I went on-line and donated our Christmas money, and then some, to the ELCA's International Disaster Relief efforts in Haiti (www.elca.org/disaster)...the same cause that Linda and Maxine chose this year for my Christmas gift. 100% of donations go directly to the relief effort. After all, I am not only secure in knowledge of the whereabouts of my loved ones...but also confident that they have adequate, if not abundant, food, water, and shelter. As we are unbelievably blessed, there are others in unbelievable need.

I pray Stephanie is right...that in times like this God's response through us will be like Jesus' first public miracle, when he replenished the wine at the wedding at Cana. Not only does God go directly to the need, but the response is inconceivably greater than anything we could have ever imagined.

That is my sincere hope...and prayer.