Light On Justice: Walking with Haiti, Walking with Jesus

Part 2 of

Standing with Haiti and the Theology of the Cross

By Marcos E de Jesús

Prosperity preaching, just like Peter’s idea that Jesus should avoid the cross, does not come from God, but from human nature. So…Where is God in the midst of the Haitian crisis? And how can we serve God with our hearts and minds, and all our strength in this circumstance?

1) God is with those who are suffering, that’s why Jesus died on the cross for us. God is with us all, and especially with Haiti.

2) When we serve the needy and the oppressed we also serve Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).

3) Not only is God with us when we suffer, God also lifts up the needy and the oppressed to change the world for good (Two big Bible examples: In the Exodus God frees slaves and makes them God’s special people, and Jesus the Savior King, who was born homeless).

If this is true about God; maybe we need to do more than help the people of Haiti. Maybe we also need to learn from them.

A Few Things Everyone ( Especially Christians) Should Know About Haiti

1) Haiti gave the gift of freedom to the western hemisphere. Haiti was the first country to abolish slavery in the Americas. The enslaved Haitians freed themselves, thanks to the indomitable spirit of freedom that flows in all our hearts. And, through the military genius of their leaders, former slaves themselves, like Tousaint L’Ouverture. The Haitian Revolution took place roughly between, 1791 and 1804.(People living in the USA should also consider: Most land west of the Mississippi is a part of this country partly thanks to those early Haitian freedom fighters. The French decided to give up their empire in the Americas and sell it to the US in the Louisiana purchase of 1803, mainly because they had been so badly defeated in the Haitian revolution.)

2) What was the root cause of Haiti’s poverty? Haiti was immensely profitable for the French because they paid the slaves nothing, and exported sugar produced there to richer countries where it was in demand. The wealth from the Haitian economy had been export based. Haiti was poor after it’s revolution because all the rich countries refused to trade with it. Thus no exports, and no income. Haitian poverty began with the crime of slavery and the embargo from rich countries after slavery. There was no curse from the devil, only from the United States and Europe. The US, for example, refused to trade with Haiti till 1863.

3) Most Haitians (96%) are Christians (80% catholic, 16% Protestant, according to CIA World Fact Book). Haitians have remained in Christ, in spite of the horrific things that supposedly Christian Countries have done to them. How’s that for forgiveness?

4) Haitian Vodou is an African based animist religion. It’s practitioners believe in one high God, and believe that all of creation is composed of living energy. It is not devil worship. It is not hostile to Christianity. Jesus said:” Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 10:40). We should respect Vodou, just like we should respect every other nonviolent world religion.

So let us Pray,

Thank you God for the many gifts Haiti has given the world. Help us to see helping Haiti as working for justice, and not just charity. Let us continue to learn about the Gospel by the example of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Lord, draw us closer to you, by drawing us closer to Haiti.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.