Can Anything Improve This Situation?

March 2013 Article for Beacon

Dear Friends,

            I will be part of First UMC of Brighton’s mission team traveling to Haiti the first week in March. As you read this, I may already be on my way. In preparation for the trip, I have been reading about the social, economic and political history of Haiti. I have read literature from Haiti and have talked with people who have traveled there.

            I know, however, that I will not be fully prepared for the crowded capital city of Port au Prince or the poverty. It is estimated that 40% to 70% of Haitians are without work. With the majority involved in an “informal” economy, selling and bartering what little each person has to get by, the unemployment rate is hard to determine.

            Many people in the nation’s capital are still living in temporary shelters due to the January 2010 earthquake. While much of the rubble has been cleared away, reconstruction is slow and limited. Infrastructure that we take for granted, municipal water and sewage systems, roads and electricity, are in poor repair or non-existent.

            From my research, I understand that Haiti has a complicated history, often with foreign governments steering its policies. Layers of bad decisions have left Haiti deforested and destitute, it’s largest city a centralized location for devastating poverty. And because the journey toward the present state of Haiti has been complicated, viable solutions will be as well.

            I’ve read that those who go to live in Haiti, determined to make a difference, survive with relentless optimism or fall into an apathetic certainty that nothing will change.

            As we approach Easter, I wonder what Jesus must have felt as he made his way toward Jerusalem. He taught the people the truth of God and they clamored for his miracles, more healing and more bread. He offered wisdom to religious leaders and they saw him as a threat. He brought his disciples along with parables and lessons and they didn’t fully comprehend.

            Was there a time when Jesus threw up his hands and said, “Nothing can improve this situation.”? If he did, his frustration was tempered with love. Not only did he love his disciples, but he loved beyond personal relationship, expansively, inclusive of the world. Remarkably, his love has spanned centuries and is still reaching toward humanity today. That love was tangible in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

            Despite the overwhelming challenges that Haiti faces, and the part that our mission team will play in transforming lives, I pray that Jesus’ far-reaching and never-ending love will be our guide.

Blessings,

Pastor Sherry