Thinking Biblically about Haiti

I would guess that I've received an average of five emails every day about Haiti since the earthquake. The primary request is concerning missionaries or pastors who are in Haiti, asking for their safety. The second common request is for the rescue/safety of the Haitian people.

And both of those requests are appropriate, I'm sure. But I keep finding myself bothered by many of the email requests... not that they are bad... but that they aren't enough.

I wish I were seeing requests like this:

• "PRAISE God that Haiti has one of the highest rates of missionaries per capita in the world!" I just read an article that said that it seems there are missionaries on almost every plane that lands in Haiti. One author said, "It seems that half of every plane is missionaries headed to Haiti." Maybe this earthquake is the very reason there are SO many missionaries in Haiti!
• PRAISE God that 1) as creation is "groaning as in the pains of childbirth" and 2) as creation is longing to be "liberated from its bondage to decay" (Romans 1:29-22) - YET God is still in control!
• Here was a prayer request I received this morning that made my heart rejoice:
  

  "Many of you have likely heard that the US Navy is sending some ships down to Haiti to help in the rescue and relief efforts.  My nephew Tim is on the USS Bataan and they were sent down this week as well.  Their ship is a smaller version of an aircraft carrier.
  

  Please pray that they will be able to help in whatever ways they can as the people of Haiti who survived move beyond this tragedy.  I would also ask you to pray for my nephew that God who enlarge his heart for the broken and hurting in our world and that God's compassion would fill him."

So - let's keep praying for the safety of missionaries, pastors and people. But let's start by praising God that He is in control of creation, and let's praise him that SO MANY pastors and missionaries are there! This may be the VERY REASON that Haiti has so many pastors, missionaries, and ministries! God sent them there!

So let's pray (biblically), let's give (sacrificially), and let's think (theologically)!

Comments

[Mark D.]

In times like these Galatians 6:10 also comes to mind:

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."

It doesn't contradict anything you have said, it just augments it.