This year the tiny and impoverished island nation of Haiti suffered a horrifically destructive earthquake. The population was crowded into cities when the earth groaned and shook for 35 seconds, an eternity in earthquake time, at the end of which virtually all buildings in the cities were flattened and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Haitians were injured and killed.
Injuries could not be treated. Disease set in, further devastating the injured people. Entire families died. In some it was a husband or a wife or children or a combination of the groupings. Parents lost their children and children lost their parents. Makeshift housing, completely inadequate to meet pressing needs, was set up. Makeshift orphanages were thrown together to care for the homeless children now without parents.
All of the suffering of this tiny nation was endured by people who were already the poorest of the Western Hemisphere and among the poorest of the world.
An agency of a Christian charity sent word to its home office that they were in need of soap. “Send us soap,” they said. There were far too many Haitian bodies, bruised and bleeding, that needed to be cleansed for the healing process to begin. The agency consciously withheld the soap and sent them Bibles. A second request came and the agency sent them more Bibles. Another request for soap and again they received Bibles to be distributed among the suffering people.
Sometimes people need soap. Sometimes a shelter. Sometimes clothing and food. Their immediate need is seldom a Bible. Even the apostle Paul, when he learned of the suffering of the Jews in Jerusalem brought about by drought and famine, put together an offering of money and substantial funds were delivered to them for their relief. He did not say, “Now this letter I’m writing will someday be viewed as Scripture so make several copies of it and send them on to the people who are suffering in Jerusalem.” No, he said he needed money from the various Christian churches of Asia which he was going to take to Jerusalem to aid in relieving suffering. It was going to buy food and other necessities of life.
Hungry people need to be fed. Naked people need to be clothed. The homeless need shelter. And Haitians obviously need soap. Send soap to Haiti.
Injuries could not be treated. Disease set in, further devastating the injured people. Entire families died. In some it was a husband or a wife or children or a combination of the groupings. Parents lost their children and children lost their parents. Makeshift housing, completely inadequate to meet pressing needs, was set up. Makeshift orphanages were thrown together to care for the homeless children now without parents.
All of the suffering of this tiny nation was endured by people who were already the poorest of the Western Hemisphere and among the poorest of the world.
An agency of a Christian charity sent word to its home office that they were in need of soap. “Send us soap,” they said. There were far too many Haitian bodies, bruised and bleeding, that needed to be cleansed for the healing process to begin. The agency consciously withheld the soap and sent them Bibles. A second request came and the agency sent them more Bibles. Another request for soap and again they received Bibles to be distributed among the suffering people.
Sometimes people need soap. Sometimes a shelter. Sometimes clothing and food. Their immediate need is seldom a Bible. Even the apostle Paul, when he learned of the suffering of the Jews in Jerusalem brought about by drought and famine, put together an offering of money and substantial funds were delivered to them for their relief. He did not say, “Now this letter I’m writing will someday be viewed as Scripture so make several copies of it and send them on to the people who are suffering in Jerusalem.” No, he said he needed money from the various Christian churches of Asia which he was going to take to Jerusalem to aid in relieving suffering. It was going to buy food and other necessities of life.
Hungry people need to be fed. Naked people need to be clothed. The homeless need shelter. And Haitians obviously need soap. Send soap to Haiti.
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