Why Haiti? Undoubtedly, many are asking this question in the wake of the largest disaster of the new decade. One survivor simply expressed last night to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “We can only leave it in the hands of the almighty.”
This leads me to ask: Are you there, God? And if you are, are you their God? Truly if the old man is there, it appears he has abandoned Port-AU-Prince–probably too busy answering the all too frequent calls to ‘Bless America.’
In a world that allows me to make more in one month than the average Haitian does in one year, something seems to be out of focus. The God of our weary years appears to be asleep at the wheel–or is He?
2005 brought us Katrina, and 2010 has begun with a terrible bang, to say the least. However, in a span of five years, my prayer is that our world, our country and our campus are ready to uncheck the option of apathy for sake of–get this–action!
Time is out and up waiting for the Heavens to split, the bushes to burn and the rocks to cry out. While the world looks up to affirm through faith that God has not gone AWOL, let us not as members of collective faiths repeat the same patterns of apathy and passivism that have only allowed cycles of social justice to continue.
As someone who holds his faith dear to his heart, let me share with you the clear mandate I believe God has issued to His people. This will alarm many people, and others will be surprised to hear me utter these words. But family, it is simply not enough to pray.
I am a Christian, and I believe in the power of prayer, relying on it day in and day out. However, I charge you today to not only pray, but to be ananswer to someone’s prayer.
I am conscious of the blessings God has bestowed on all of us here at Stanford University. But now, we are reminded that it is not just about our being blessed. It is time to be a blessing.
I don’t want your money–Haiti needs your money. Plain and simple. More than TAP, the bookstore or, God forbid, Apple, hold off buying that STAT 60 text and consider giving to help someone whose struggles include more than finalizing a study list.
There is a HAITI RELIEF meeting being held today at the Black Community Services Center at noon. I encourage you to come find out how you might truly be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
Are you there, God? I believe so. Where are YOU?