STONECALL

Like many in the US, I am a 1st generation Haitian-American. Most of my family were born and raised in Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. At this point, I am sure just about everyone is aware of the earthquake that brought devastation to the capital city of Haiti and the surrounding area on January 12th. Haiti is no stranger to difficult times and hardship, but something seems different about this situation…more on that later. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives as a result of this earthquake and just as many are without a place to live. This is personal to me because I have family that have been directly affected by this, as well as families of some very dear friends. In addition to that, Haiti is the land of my heritage. The land of my fathers. The place of my lineage.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on what happened in Haiti and why it happened. While democracy entitles us the ‘freedom’ to share our thoughts on just about anything, it is often wise to think before we speak and if we do speak we should take to heart the words of the Preacher when he says, “Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2) Just because we are free to do and say things, doesn’t mean that it is always beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12). The ways of God are not like the ways of men, and the thoughts of God are not like the thoughts of men. Three of Job’s friends are good examples of how we tend to view the suffering and misfortune of others. They actually started out great by simply sitting with Job; not saying anything, but sharing in his pain and providing comfort and support by their presence (Job 2:13). Once they started to try and explain to Job why he was in the situation he was in, they went wrong; to the extent that God eventually intervened and rebuked them for “not speaking what was right”. I think there are times when we should say nothing at all…like now. Let every man be a liar, and let God be true. This is not to say we should not pray and ask God for mercy and whatever is on His heart for the people of Haiti, quite the contrary. But, we should avoid coming to conclusions that are based on conjecture, speculation, or what we hear others say. The people of Haiti need our prayers, our compassion, and our aid during this time. In that, we will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). He that hath an ear, let him hear…