Region / Country: Haiti

“Haiti, Haiti” This kind of expression, depending on the speaker, may be accompanied by a shrugged shoulder and or sighs of despondency and dismay. Alternatively, it may very well be a call to listen. Those of us who have a good appreciation for the old English will remember the famous repetition uttered by our Lord: “Verily, Verily”, meaning, “pay attention dear reader, for this that I am about to say is an irrefutable truth.”

Unfortunately, the mention of Haiti in this way tends to leave you disheartened and dis-spirited. It is as if the plight of this nation will never end. ‘Rescue efforts going slow after the worst earthquake in a decade’, ‘Haitian President assassinated’, ‘Rising gang violence in Haiti’, ‘How to handle mismanaged aid to Haiti’: these are just a few of the headlines released by various media outlets in recent months. With slumped shoulders and headshakes of despair, we ask, when will this all end, Lord? And it is good that this question should be asked.

The content of these headlines can be depressing but the trajectory of the preceded question is powerful and potent. Our Lord has now been entreated, and rightly so, for indeed He alone is omniscient. It was the Psalmist David who said, “Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5) and, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.” (Psalm 139:4). John, in his first letter, reminded us that “God is greater than our hearts and knows all things” (1 John 3:20). The insignificant sparrow is in the Lord’s care and “[…] there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4.13) Oh! The very hair on our heads are known and numbered. Hallelujah!

We all can testify that the unknown brings much anxiety and fear, but like the men of old, let us open a space to connect with our Lord through prayer for the nation of Haiti. For “the LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalms 145:18). As a CARIFES family, let us join hearts and beseech the Lord for the wholeness of our brothers and sisters and the healing of this nation. May we be moved with and PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!