The immense tragedy that has occurred in Haiti is similar to an "acute on chronic" situation. As I can not fathom what a 7.3 magnitude earthquake would do in a developed country that already had some infrastructure in place, my mind can absolutely not wrap around the travesty of this happening to the poorest nation we have in the Western hemisphere. The devastation is shocking. 50,000 are already reported dead, with corpses lying next to the wounded and dying themselves. Thousands of people are sleeping in the open streets at night because they either have no home to return to, or are too afraid that a second quake will hit again, crushing them beneath wherever they lay. Hospitals are crushed, government buildings destroyed, and the pictures reveal utter chaos. What is going to be more shocking in the days to come, I am afraid, is the impact that poverty, crime, and disease is going to have on those who are still survivors. As we have seen in the past, often time there are more victims from the problems that arise post-traumatic event than those who actually died during the event itself. If there was no infrastructure in place to have prepared for the event from the beginning, there is no way of controlling the situation after the event has occurred. And then we have an acute on chronic situation. It was bad before the earthquake hit. What state will this little country return to after the dust has settled?
I have struggled with an "acute on chronic" situation in my own personal life this week. As I have expressed in other places on this blog, I am American {I know, shocker}. When my husband asked me on Tuesday if I had heard of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti, I replied, "No, I haven't. Was it bad?" He described it to me, said it was all over the news and radio, etc. I thought how awful that must have been...and I continued to pack boxes (we're putting our house on the market-but that's for another post). I didn't turn on the news, I didn't turn on the radio, I didn't go see if I could find pictures of the devastation. I just kept doing what I was doing...for a day and a half. It would not have taken the least effort for me to inform myself of the suffering and devastation that others are enduring at this very moment, but instead I opted to divert my eyes. It's easier. Subconsciously, I knew that if I saw those images, heard those stories, allowed myself to be informed, then I would have a responsibility to do something about it. I don't believe anyone can look at images of mothers holding dying infants in their arms, or people lying in the streets with legs broken or crushed under buildings, and not be compelled to do something about it. So, it's much easier to skirt the responsibility by simply not informing myself of the needs of my brothers and sisters. And so I confess my sin, an abominable sin against the Lord! He has given me this conscience for a reason, and I choose not to use it- an acute on chronic situation I believe. It is easy for me to not take notice of those in need around me (my chronic sinful nature), but especially easy these days when my husband is school, I'm working full-time, carrying a baby, and preparing to move. There are so many things I can choose to divert my attention to (an acutely sinful nature). It is our natural tendency to take the easy way out. I believe Americans (and anyone in wealthy nations) can do this very well- divert our eyes from the suffering that takes place right beneath them, so that we do not have to be held responsible. But that is a lie from the Enemy. We will be held responsible, for the sins we are aware of and those which go unnoticed. God commands us, His people, to help the needy, the poor, the perishing, the orphan, and the widow. In so much as He has shown grace to us in the depths of our spiritual poverty, we are called to show that grace to those in need, that they too may know the sweetness of communion with Jesus. My prayer is that as I realize more and more the depths of my own sinful nature, I might appreciate more and more the grace of Christ, and hunger for others in spiritual and physical depravity to know the same sweetness in their lives.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:4-10
*If you are looking for reputable organizations to send funds to help with relief efforts, here is a link from the Desiring God website:
Powerful Lauren. Thank you for sharing. I'm praying. Let's unite with the Spirit and trust that God is all powerful.
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