echoes of redemption

The global response over the past 24 hours to the cry for help out of Haiti has been nothing short of encouraging.

From the over $1,000,000 raised by the Red Cross through a text messaging campaign to the organizations rallying support, it is amazing to see the people of the world dig in to help the most impoverished land of the western hemisphere.

ONE.org emailed this out this morning:

Disasters like this one are especially devastating when they strike places that are already struggling  to provide the most basic of services for its population. With weak government and private sector institutions, and with uncertain security conditions, Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty. The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. Haiti’s lack of development—which translates into a lack of government capacity for emergency preparedness—magnifies the impact of this tragedy…

This situation demonstrates how investments in long-term development, especially in fragile and disaster-prone states like Haiti, could help countries deal with disasters, and also keep them on track to develop.

There is so much to do, and so much more will be needed even to restore the basics of life (which were uncommon even before the earthquake) – and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

But we have to stay focused.

We have to commit our resources.

We have to commit our prayers.

Everyone who can afford the technology it takes to read this blog can afford to text “Haiti” to 90999. By doing that you will contribute $10 to the Red Cross’s emergency relief fund for Haiti.

If you are interested in doing more, check out this list of organizations, or look at the website of a charity you already have a relationship with to see how they are responding.

This past weekend, Francis Chan said:

Let’s just call it what it is… we’re more concerned with our standard of living than people dying.

Truth be told, I’m guilty.

If my child were being abused, I would give my life to stop it. Yet I don’t sense the urgency that 1 out of every 5 American children is abused physically, mentally or sexually. Or that 1 million people are forced, tricked or coerced into trafficking their bodies for sex every year (70% are women – 50% are children).

If my family were dying of dysentery because of filthy drinking water, I would move mountains to get them clean water and medical attention. But I don’t feel that same panic – even though 1 out of every 6 humans on our planet are drinking disease contaminated filth (and that a child dies every 3-4 seconds, year round, from a preventable water-related disease).

I guess the problem is, I have to care enough to shift resources. To reallocate. To give up some of the things I value so highly that they prevent me from seeing beyond them.

Forming a relationship with a family could prevent abuse (yeah, it could actually be that simple).

$400 a year could feed, educate, clothe, vaccinate and house a former sex slave while they grow up.

Ten bucks could give someone clean water for a decade.

The whole world could change if we felt urgency for each other .

But I might have to put something down if I’m going to pick up someone else’s burden.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

- Galatians 6:2

There are a lot of logical reasons not to carry someone’s burden.

Cost.

Time.

Stress.

And a lot of unknowns.

But when I’m honest with myself, this is the area I look the least like Christ. And sometimes it makes me wonder if I’m even a Christian.

It’s easy to talk about serving others. Easy to throw money at a problem. Easy to create a program that people should participate in.

But it’s hard to walk into someone’s life, pick up their burden and carry it for them. Owning their problems as if they are my own. Pouring the same time, energy, passion and prayer into their life as I do when my world starts to fall apart.

There are huge problems in our world, but sometimes the answer isn’t a global solution, it’s just a person deciding to make a difference.

The Church in action is people carrying one another’s burdens – and it’s beautiful. Because when we all find someone to walk along side – someone to own their problems like our own – we discover life like Christ lived it. And it’s deep, rich and more abundant than we ever knew possible.