Haiti, Pat Robertson, and the Thin Places
January 18, 2010
Injured people sit along a road the day after the earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, (AP Photo/Jorge Cruz)
It seems more than a little sad to me that comments made by Pat Robertson about the situation in Haiti has almost overshadowed the situation itself. People have been quick to criticize him (which is justified) and Christianity as a whole (which is not). There is no doubt that the Haitian people need help. Telling them they deserve what they’ve gotten because they made a pact with the Devil is not help.
However.
I have a perspective on Haiti that some people lack. My grandfather was a missionary there for much of his life. He loved Haiti and loved its people. But he was quick to say there was much more to that county than people realize, a fact he learned firsthand when he went missing for three days there in the 1980s.
To hear that story, hop on over to katdish’s blog. Yes, Pat Robertson’s words weren’t the very best that could have been said. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he was completely wrong.
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13 Responses to “Haiti, Pat Robertson, and the Thin Places”
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I’m a writer whose first novel, Snow Day, will be published by FaithWords in 2010.
But don’t let that fool you. I’m just as confused as anyone.
And that is fine with me, because the great thing about wandering around in the fog is that you never know what you might run into.
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I read your post over at Katdish and left a comment there. That was quite some post. Immensely thought-provoking.
Billy,
WOW! Praise God for your grandfather’s impact/legacy in your life!
All I can say is prayer is more powerful than evil. God will allow to happen what must for their good and His glory. God will bring beauty from the ashes even when our human minds and eyes can’t see it. Haiti is no different than cities from the Old Testament in many ways.
May God be seen and heard amongst the people of Haiti in a new way and hearts be eternally changed.
Blessings,
Jill
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At the end of this post you say, “Yes, Pat Robertson’s words weren’t the very best that could have been said. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he was completely wrong.” Does that mean you believe that God does cause things like this as pay back? I do not think of God a vengful and a God that causes pain, my God is a God of love who sent His Son to die for my sins.
Wow. Thanks for sharing this, Billy. He sounds like an amazing guy. My heart cracks for Haiti.
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“lives stripped bare to the point where the essentials had become excess.’
You have a way with words that lead us to have a glimpse of poverty. This is an incredible story you told.
You have an amazing grandfather – another piece of the Coffey faith lineage that speaks to you– and to us today. I wish I could have met him.
Sometimes I think if you didn’t have the family you have, you would have had to make them up.
Billy
Pat Robertsons comments were twisted the media (surprise!). He spoke about the long ‘curse’ of Haiti and gave the full history of the island with it’s poverty, despots and despair. This earthquake is just one more tragedy that Robertson traced back to a famous ‘deal with the devil’ made in the 1700’s.
That being said, we need to respond with love and that’s it. We cannot blame politics or poverty or leaders in situations like this. We just need to roll up our sleeves and work.
I blogged about Haiti here:
http://redletterbelievers.blogspot.com/2010/01/responding-to-disaster.html
David@RedLetterBelievers.
I would love to see us get to a place in this world where we focus on all the good and generous and helpful things Christians everywhere are doing, not just in Haiti but in neighborhoods and communities and cities and countries all around the world.
I don’t know the context of what Pat Robertson said so I can’t comment on that but I do wonder if we will ever get to a place where an entire population of people are not judged based on the words or actions of one. Unless of course that one is Jesus.
I loved the story of your grandfather…how lucky you are to have known him and felt the influence of him in your life.
So much about this post touches me. Thanks for sharing! Write on!
Billy, read it over there, thought I’d comment over here. Really good stuff, especially about the evil inside ourselves. Darn it, it’s true too. Because we are both. Good and evil is inside each one of us. And we get to choose which will win out. Some have it easier than others in this choice. To those of us who have resources and light in our lives, it is easier at times, but we are still tempted away. There are so many opposing forces. The only way to defend ourselves is to stay near to God. Sometimes, suffering keeps us there. In that way, though suffering is difficult, it is sometimes more of a blessing than curse. Deep, deep stuff, but really important to ponder, in the light of where we’re heading and why we’re journeying in the first place. Blessings in your journey and for sharing a piece of the soul of your grandfather. Sounds like an amazing man.
Whew, powerful story about your grandfather. I have good friends who are missionaries in Port Au Prince and they have said, time and time again, we just wouldn’t believe some of the things that go on there in the name of voodoo. We simply don’t have the contextual background to really grasp what it is like to be so steeped in a culture that isn’t satisfied with denying God but seeks to defiantly defy Him. Thank God for people like your grandfather and my friends who are willing to risk so much for the sake of sharing His love with people who so desperately Him. The recent earthquake is surely an opportunity to reach even more Haitians, on a bigger scale than ever before possible.
I really enjoy your writing and I’m looking forward to reading more.