« Nous sommes aux abois,» wrote Bishop Zaché Duracin of the Diocese of Haiti, « mais fermes dans la foi. » « Être aux abois » means literally to be run down like the fox in a foxhunt, surrounding by barking dogs and unable to run any further. “At the end of our rope” or “we’re finished” might be a good translation.
“We’re at the end of our rope, but firm in our faith.” He begins and ends his letter with this sentence. This sounds like the man the Rev. Lauren Stanley, his representative outside Haiti, called “a lion” in a phone call to me. (Visit her site for a clearinghouse of Haiti information.) Indeed! I don’t know what I would do, if I barely escaped death and had my home and everything in my diocese destroyed. Probably find some place to lie down and lament my fate. Not Bishop Zaché, who with Canon Ogé Beauvoir and others of his staff, responded by setting up a camp for the displaced on a soccer field next to the completely destroyed diocesan center (cathedral, schools, convent) which now serves thousands of people. A Lion, is Bishop Zaché, whose roar of defiance for a whole people is “We’re at the end of our rope but firm in our faith!”
In the past, Bishop Pierre Whalon's words have resonated with me on more than one occasion. He adds:
It is now time for all Christians and other people of good will to declare our solidarity with the Haitian people, including those of The Episcopal Church’s largest diocese of Haiti, and insist to all who want to help—nations, NGOs, churches and ordinary people—that the Haitian people must be in charge of their future.
Not only have they been the victims of several natural disasters recently. Haiti has also suffered immensely, first at the hands of the French, and then the Americans. As a citizen of both countries, I am ashamed of the human disasters wreaked upon the Haitian people by my nations in the past. We must not allow that past to repeat itself.
I, too, am ashamed of the role that the US played in the tragic history of Haiti. Indeed, the Haitian people must be in charge of their own recovery. Our role is to enable them to recover from the earthquake disaster. My hope is that the future of Haiti may be brighter than its dark past.
Firm in their faith, which we share, guided by the Holy Spirit, by supporting the Haitian people in rebuilding the way they want, we can help repent of some of the crimes of the past. Before we rush to bring what we think they need, we must listen to them and respect their desires.
The future of Haiti can only be bright if it really belongs to the Haitians.
I've linked to Lauren Stanley's site before, and I'm pleased to link again, because she is doing great work in keeping us informed on the latest word from Haiti.
Once again, if you'd like to help, here's the link to Episcopal Relief and Development to make donations. Or choose your own charity, but try to find an organization with low overhead, one in which the greatest amount of money goes to those who need help. ERD has very low overhead.
H/T to Ann Fontaine at The Lead.
UPDATE: Ann called to my attention the article titled Local development key to Haiti long term at Ekklesia which urges us to help but reminds us that the Haitian people must be in charge of recovery efforts.
Thanks -- here is another group saying as Pierre says.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ann. I added a link to Ekklesia in an update.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Amen. Having had an eye-full of the long term effects of colonialism recently, Haiti must be in charge of the recovery.
ReplyDeleteWe can't forget Haiti. I'm afraid we're already moving into Haiti fatigue territory.
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