Haiti Crisis Update #13 from Jimmy Dodd
February 12, 2010 - 02:26:46 PM by Eric Rochester
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Reflections – A Confused Anger
One month ago today an earthquake struck Haiti. The following thoughts have stirred in my heart for the past several weeks.
It is a picture we have come to know all too well. Haitian orphans wandering the streets, unemployment inching towards 80%, clean water a luxury, food in short supply, no working sewer system which results in refuse flowing down the streets of Port-au-Prince, children being sold into slavery and more than half of Haitian children not attending school.
A post earthquake picture of Haiti? No! This was everyday life in Haiti on January 11th, the day before an earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince.
I have had the same discussion with a number of people this past month. Each feels sheepish about beginning the conversation. They experience a mixture of guilt and anger as they share the deepest recesses of their heart. The exchange goes something like this:
I am so grateful that everyone jumped at the opportunity to help Haiti. I am grateful that George Clooney, Taylor Swift, Alyssa Milano (and ten thousand other celebrities) have made Haiti a priority. They are speaking out about the need to get involved, raising money, answering the telethon phone and even traveling to Haiti (Sean Penn leads the parade). But, it’s not like Haiti didn’t have extreme problems on January 11th, 2010. When people are asked, ‘why are you involved in Haiti?’ The answer is often – I am involved because I feel compassion for the thousands of orphans, for the families who lost loved ones, for a country literally starving before our eyes.
“But”, (and here is where I hear a confused mix of anger and passion), “where were these people on January 11th?” Why now? The devastation in Haiti did not begin on January 12th! The devastation has been there for decades. The earthquake took Haiti devastation from a 9 to a 10 on the tragedy scale.
I too am grateful for those who have rushed to Haiti. I thank the Lord for the countless individuals who have given of their financial resources and their time to assist. I believe that the Lord can and will use the earthquake to awaken a new commitment to serve one of our closest neighbors.
I believe (and I pray) that January 12th will be remembered as the worst day in Haitian history and the best day in Haitian history.
But, the question remains: Why are so many people wanting to be involved in Haiti? It is a valid question. I Corinthians 13:5 tells us …_Love does not self seeking._ Love does not seek its own personal, private preference without reference to what may be good for other people. Love seeks its joy in the good of others.
When you attempt to live – not motivated by love – but so that God will bless you make you feel better about your earthy existence – this is incredibly selfish. If the good works you do – are being done with selfish motives, then you are living life to ultimately justify yourself and your behavior.
Here is where this reflection gets downright painful –
If I jump on a plane to Haiti immediately following the earthquake – because I need to be there; but the need to be there is in actuality a deep personal need to feel justified – then ultimately , though I may feed a thousand children, I am not helping the poor – I am helping myself because it is all about me as I attempt to justify my existence upon this earth.
Please don’t get me wrong. Everyone working in Haiti is not doing so from selfish motives. And, it is not wrong to naturally feel satisfaction with serving. But, if that is the root of our good works then our acts of kindness are ultimately selfishness.
As a pastor, I have encountered the following on countless occasions. In a family, one spouse is a drug addict / alcoholic (name your addiction). The spouse of the addict sacrifices much for the unhealthy spouse. They go the extra mile again and again to help the unhealthy spouse to recover and lead a productive life. Commonly, more often than you would imagine, when the unhealthy spouse gets healthy – the marriage falls apart. Why? Because the healthy spouse finds it difficult to connect any longer to the healthy spouse. Ultimately, the relationship was not about love – the relationship was about the healthy person’s need to be a savior. The apparent acts of sacrificial love were about the healthy spouse’s need to be indispensable. “Look at the love I’m giving my spouse who has so many problems”. When the unhealthy spouse recovers, the marriage is often over. This is Love seeking it’s own (I Cor. 13:5). Clearly, in this scenario they were both unhealthy,
Some are championing Haiti and rushing to the scene because they are feeling like they have to be the hero, the champion, the savior. If that is where your heart is today, while your acts to serve the poor are commendable, your acts are not motivated by love. You are seeking your own. To be sure, these are actions which will benefit Haiti, but ultimately, your actions are not motivated by a need to feel justified, accepted and loved.
The rush to help Haiti points to a deeper issue. You are not the champion. I am not the champion. But there is a savior, a hero. His name is Jesus. When you begin to see that Jesus alone is the savior and lover – only then can you begin to be motivated by love. When the other person’s joy is your joy, their delight is your delight – this is love. And, it is only found in Jesus.
Please – don’t mistake being good for meeting Jesus.
Watching the world’s celebrities take their turn at the front of the stage to promote helping Haiti has more often than not revealed their search for significance, a search which can only be settled in Jesus.
I understand why many people feel resentment towards those who have suddenly made Haiti their life priority. But know this; many of the people who have jumped on the Haiti bandwagon are looking for an opportunity to justify their existence upon this earth. GK Chesterton wrote, ““Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God”. So too, any person who rushes to Haiti for self justification is looking for God.
We can only pray that through their attempts to be a savior to Haitians by serving the poor, they will see their need for a savior and a hero – only Jesus.
Mission Trip Information
If you have any interest in traveling to Haiti, now is the time to get your Passport and Shots (Tetanus, Hep A and Hep B series).
For mission trips to Haiti with the Global Orphan Project – click here
For mission trips to Haiti with El Shaddai Ministries, contact esmieletter@aol.com
Giving Information
HR 4462 law allows an immediate deduction on your 2009 tax return for certain earthquake related charitable contributions.
If you make a 2010 donation to a domestic charity specifically for the relief of victims in the areas affected by the January 12 Haitian earthquake, you may be able to deduct the amount on your 2009 tax return. Here are some requirements:
- The donation must be made after January 11, 2010 and before March 1, 2010.
- The donation must be supported by the general documentation rules – generally a cancelled check, credit card receipt, or telephone bill supporting a text message contribution, and if the donation is either actual cash or $250 or more, you must also have a receipt from the organization.
- The donation can be deducted in either 2009 or 2010 (but not both years).
- You must itemize deductions to be able to deduct charitable contributions.
Highly Recommended Relief Agencies:
Many have asked me to recommend additional ministries working in Haiti. While there is no way I could provide an exhaustive list of ministries doing great work in Haiti, in addition to the five agencies listed above, I can personally recommend the following ministries:
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
Finally, I am aware that many Catholics prefer to give only to Catholic relief agencies. I recommend:
Cross International Catholic Outreach
Jimmy Dodd
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