The Associated Press reported on today’s aftershock in Haiti. “From the teeming plaza near the collapsed presidential palace to a hillside tent city, the 5.9-magnitude aftershock lasted only seconds but panicked thousands of Haitians. ‘Jesus!’ they cried as rubble tumbled and dust rose anew….”The people of Haiti are among the poorest in the world. The situation there today is desperate. The numbers are staggering. There are likely 200,000 who have died, 250,000 who are in need of immediate aid; and upwards to 2 million people who are homeless. They call to Jesus for help.
When this morning’s aftershock ended, a street merchant walked past the partly collapsed hospital. “She raised her arms to the sky and spoke for millions. ‘Lord have mercy, for we are sinners!’ she shouted. ‘Please have mercy on Haiti.’” They call to God for help.
We probably all know people who have gone to Haiti on mission trips. Our friends and neighbors have returned with pictures and stories describing a life we do not know. In the aftermath of this earthquake, we are seeing horrifying pictures and hearing gut-wrenching stories of a life we cannot imagine.
God’s work. Our hands. That is the ELCA tagline. The people of Haiti are calling to God for help. God hears that call and so do we. Medical volunteers are needed now. Other volunteers may be needed in the future. As we know from Hurricane Katrina, life will not return to normal anytime soon from this natural disaster. Thankfully, aid is beginning to pour in from around the world. Monetary donations are needed and are being solicited by countless agencies.
Please be active in God’s work. Pray and give. I encourage you in the strongest way to give directly to ELCA Disaster Response or Lutheran World Relief. Your money will go directly to aid those in need. My wife and I chose to make our donation through Thrivent to ELCA Disaster Response to take advantage of matching funds. Thanks.
For more information go to www.elca.org/disaster; www.lwr.org/haiti; or http://www.thrivent.com/. --JC
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