Blessed Are the Poor...

Earthquake. Wildfires. Tsunami. Wars. Sound a little overwhelming? I know it does to me. Whenever there is a new catastrophe somewhere in the world, I'm glued to the news. I feel terrible for the victims and I want to help. Yet at the same time, I feel overwhelmed, paralyzed. After all, who am I? I'm just one person. I'm not rich or famous or influential. What can I possibly do? Well, it turns out, maybe I can do more than I think.

The images and reports from Haiti are devastating. Most of us cannot fathom a level of destruction on this scale. Perhaps some of you have been through an earthquake and have just a tiny taste of what it's like. I've never experienced one, but I'm sure I would feel fear, loss of control, grief. Now multiply that by about a thousand, and you have Haiti. If you haven't looked at the images of the destruction or read any of the stories, you should. I know it's sometimes frightening and depressing to read such things. But isn't it our responsibility to know what goes on in our world (and not just our little corner of it)? Don't be afraid to look. You will be impacted, yes, but perhaps you will also be led to act.

So, what can we do? Well for starters, we can realize that although we're each just one individual person, we are not alone. There are thousands of other people just like us, wondering how to help. If we coordinate our efforts through organizations such as Compassion International, World Vision, etc., we could make a sizeable impact.

And then what? Let's not stop there. Proverbs states "He who despises his neighbor sins, but happy is he who is gracious to the poor" (Prov. 14:21, NASB). It's easy to think of serving our neighbors (global or local) when they're splashed all over the news. Yet what about when the headlines fade? What happens when the latest celebrity indiscretion or political scandal takes its place? Do we just move on, having assuaged our guilt and patted ourselves on the back for being such fine, upstanding human beings? I certainly hope not, because that might be an even bigger tragedy.

I hope we all find a way to reach out to the people of Haiti in their time of need. I hope those images and stories stay with us, to remind us of all we have; and more importantly, of those around the world who have little to nothing to call their own. Most of all, I hope the desire to serve those in need stays with us. I hope this event develops within all of us a heart for each and every one of our neighbors, right next door or around the globe. Imagine what life could be like if each of us "[did] not merely look out for [our] own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4, NASB).