Just 800 Miles

It is just 800 miles. That is just about the distance from the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana state line to the West Texas town of El Paso. You can travel the marsh flat Texas Gulf Coast along Interstate 10 and watch the scenery change from lush green rice fields to rugged mesquite scrubs in just about a day’s drive. All along the way you see a land that is blessed and prosperous.
It is roughly 800 miles south-east of Miami. The Island of Hispaniola is divided between two nations. The eastern two thirds of the island is the Spanish speaking Dominican Republic. The western third is the French speaking nation of Haiti. Haiti is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland and is home to nearly nine million people. It is also the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The average annual per capita income is $1300. Nearly 65% of her citizens live in absolute poverty. Eroding natural resources, HIV AIDS, and political turmoil affects the lives of millions of Haitians. There is now ay to accurately describe what life is like in Haiti. From people I know personally, they have told me that one would have to experience it to fully understand the magnitude of it all.
Tuesday January 12, 2010 an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale centered smack dab in the middle of Haiti. The earthquake unleashed massive devastation. Though the people of Haiti are accustomed to hardship and turmoil, there was nothing to prepare them for this cataclysmic event. Shanty homes that were barely livable collapsed into rubble. Hospitals, schools, government buildings crumbled as the earth heaved and shook trapping hundreds beneath them. Basic necessities that we Americans take for granted such as water and lights were off line. And when the shaking stopped and the dust settled tens of thousands were dead and hundreds more unaccounted for. This was a horrific event, but it isn’t over.
Two controversial people have made comments that should not have been made. Rush Limbaugh believes the current US Presidential Administration is using this disaster for political gain. Pat Robertson claims that Haiti is cursed by the devil and this is earthquake is proof of that. The statements are ridiculous and bring no resolution to the immediate problem. This is not the time to get caught up in any debate that takes the focus off of the needy and the hurting.
Haiti needs help. Volunteers are needed to help in the search and rescue of survivors. Medical professionals are needed to provide treatment to the injured. And, contributions need to be given. This is the time when we, the blessed, share with those who need to be blessed. This is the time to focus on the need and seek to fulfill it.
Haitians look different and speak differently than most Americans. They have customs and beliefs that we do not share. Their way of life is completely foreign to us. But, they are not a world away. They are just 800 miles south of us. The same distance between The Sabine River in East Texas to El Paso. Find a charitable organization and donate. Help make a difference in the lives of those who are closer than you think.
“ I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:35-40 New king James Version