Haiti: God's Love is Greater
By now you have heard that there was a major earthquake in Haiti yesterday, which brought much of Port-au-Prince to the ground and also devastated other areas where our ministries work. The few colleagues I've heard from are alright, but we are very worried about the rest of our Haitian friends. The U.S. Geological Survey is saying that this is the worst earthquake to shake this region in 200 years. Haiti is in chaos, and both Bart (who was just there) and I are heartbroken.
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Haiti's former dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier, was a voodoo witchdoctor, and when he was driven from power it was widely rumored that he offered an infant boy as a blood sacrifice to Satan, and cursed the country with an evil spell to bring disasters and suffering upon the Haitian people. You may not believe in that sort of thing, but many Haitians do. Now we must show them that God's love, expressed through sacrificial people, is greater than the forces of darkness.
Just after the earthquake, as huge billows of dust caused by collapsing buildings hung over Port-au-Prince, witnesses heard not only the moans of suffering people, but also the eerie sounds of hymns being sung by Haitian Christians. These are the songs of an undaunted people who are determined to defy Duvalier's curse with their faith in God.
Help them to hope! Help their prayers to be answered! I don't believe God called this disaster down on Haiti, but I do believe God's grace and love, flowing through those of us who are surrendered to God's will, can bring healing and redemption to our Haitian brothers and sisters. Please, please, please ... do what you can.
Tony Campolo is founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE) and professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University.
