In this aftermath of the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, my heart and mind have joined millions of others in sorrow and in the need to respond. I am so glad that I am part of a church that leads me through this in a faithful way. First, we know that God in Christ Jesus knows suffering and is an abiding presence in tragedy. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote “only the suffering God can help.” We know a God who brings redemption out of the depths of human suffering and deprivation. As United Methodists, we know our church to be on task before the press arrives to tell us of the human needs as a result of the crisis. Aware of this, I have found a place of peace as I seek ways to respond and to lead others to open their hearts to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
We pray and we offer gifts of caring. To date, we have sent over $9,000 and 134 health kits to UMCOR. Today, we packaged 20,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now to distribute in Haiti and there are more opportunities to respond being planned for the days to come and I know our generous congregation will. United Methodists everywhere are responding in numerous and creative ways and for this I give thanks.
However, it was a conversation that I had with my son that has given me the most encouragement. About ten years ago, he was part of a mission team that did construction in Jeremie, Haiti and he now wants to return to this broken country to be part of the recovery process. This is not only a faithful response, but also a sign of hope for a world that needs young adults accepting the responsibility to care for God’s hurting people. May he find a way to do so.
2 comments:
Jean, as Disaster Response Coordinator for the SC Conference, I want to thank the congregation at First UMC for their wonderful response to the crisis in Haiti. I hope that, when we are given the green light, First church will send a mission team there as well. Again, thank you!
George
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