I don't know how you can look at the images emerging from Haiti and not feel a panoply of emotions.
Shock. Sadness. Almost numbness, when I think about the horrendous loss of life from the earthquake and what the recovery effort will require.
When devastation is that complete, recovery comes in small steps. Shelter. Food. Water. Sanitation. Identifying and burying the dead.
The steps have to be small, or the task becomes overwhelming.
I don't have any patience for the chirping of folks such as Pat Robertson, who says Haiti's being punished for something that happened a couple hundred years ago. Haiti needs healing, not hot air.
The irony is that in the Bible, it was a long-held belief among Jews that when bad things happened to people it was God punishing them for sins - quite possibly the sins of their fathers. But Jesus preached that sometimes bad things just happen, and it's not meant as punishment for the victims.
St. Francis of Assisi is credited with saying "Preach the gospel always. If absolutely necessary, use words."
Haiti doesn't need scoldings. It needs help.
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