14 Jan, 2010
Earthquake in Haiti
Haiti Chief Says Thousands May Be Dead
Dawn brought horrible scenes to light in Haiti’s capital on Wednesday: piles of disintegrated concrete, with limbs sticking out and muffled cries emanating from deep inside; wounded people staggering through the streets; and bodies littering the landscape.
Huge swaths of Port-au-Prince lay in ruins, and thousands of people were feared dead in the rubble of government buildings, foreign aid headquarters and shantytowns that collapsed a day earlier in a powerful earthquake.
The Haitian president, René Préval, told The Miami Herald that the toll was “unimaginable” and estimated that thousands had died. Among those feared dead were the chief of the United Nations mission in Haiti and Msgr. Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Parliament has collapsed,” Mr. Préval was quoted as saying. “The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them.”
“All of the hospitals are packed with people,” he added. “It is a catastrophe.”
Photo & article courtesy of — The New York Times.
Romans 12:12-15 (NIV)
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
When a catastrophe of this magnitude occurs it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the pain and tragedy. That's why the first thing we ought to do when confronted with such incredible damage and suffering is to pray. Pray for those situations that are beyond our control and ability to intervene. Also, pray for the strength, courage, and inspiration to do what we can to bring light to the darkness and hope to the hopeless.
In his letter to the Romans Paul lists some really practical behaviors that we can all take some direction from as we, as the body of Christ, respond to this tragedy.
v. 12: Pray — Enough said. Praying about something like this should be as automatic as breathing.
v. 13: Share — What can you share with the thousands in need in Haiti? Clothing, money, food, water?
v. 15: Mourn — Cultivate a soft compassionate heart for those in need. The Bible often mentions that people's poor choices are a result of their "hard hearts". Allow yourself to feel the weight of the tragedy in Haiti, and allow it to soften your heart and move you to action.
- Pray for the the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
- Organize a special collection for the victims of the Haiti earthquake at your church.
Talk with your friends about what they would do if an earthquake hit their hometown. Ask them where they would look to for disaster relief?
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