Hating Haiti?

In just a few days I will be heading off to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. I have seen extreme poverty before in the dumps of Tijuanna, Mexico, but I imagine the pervasiveness of poverty in Haiti will be something that will simply smack me in the face.

I think it is time for me to get smacked in the face. It is so comfortable and comforting to imagine that being the church is simply about getting people into worship and having them support a program or two. The image that Jesus, Paul, and the martyrs give us, however, is a church on the move identifying with those who are the least among us. I cannot imagine how we have allowed ourselves to build huge sanctuaries without the same commitment to being a people of sanctuary for those on the margins. I guess I like dealing with people who are like me about petty issues rather than having to roll up my sleeves and plug up my noise as we wade into the midst of the squalor of poverty.

My biggest fear is that I will go, my heart will be touched, and I will be so exposed that I will either blow people away or be so blown away myself that I just shut down. I hope and pray that I will be able to see and to tell, so that others may have their hearts revived by the troubles of God's children in places like Haiti.

Peace,

Pal