From Second Terrace:
What should Orthodox Christians do about the earthquake in Port au Prince?
Pray for mercy. repeatedly, profligately. Do not wait for detailed information to give to the Lord, as He knows it already. Do not wonder whether one should pray for non-Christians or non-Orthodox. Do not try to figure out how your prayers may make a difference. Now is not a good time to be deterministic or gnostic.
Give. Repeatedly. Profligately. Give through the IOCC, through the American Red Cross, through the MCC, Friends Disaster Service, World Vision. Do not wait for detailed information. Do not wonder whether one should give to secular or Christian or Orthodox organizations. Do not try to figure out how your gifts will make a difference. Now is not a good time to be an accountant.
Do not be philosophical and think decrepit thoughts like Voltaire upon Lisbon.
Wondering why an earthquake happened is a waste of time. For Christians it could be worse, as it takes away time from prayer.
Haiti is a sad land to begin with, with a tragic history of slavery, voodoo, poverty and deforestation. My brother and a number of friends have spent much time there in mission centers, and I always heard from them that the desperation and the need never go away. Ben told me that people in the market place in Port au Prince would get large SUV-sized crates packed with rejected clothing from Goodwill: once in a while, packed inside, there would be a prized toaster or radio, just needing a small repair.
And that state of affairs was before the earthquake.
The poor get poorer ... except for when the poor are blessed, in a higher state of affairs.
And that is what Orthodox Christians do.
Pray for mercy. repeatedly, profligately. Do not wait for detailed information to give to the Lord, as He knows it already. Do not wonder whether one should pray for non-Christians or non-Orthodox. Do not try to figure out how your prayers may make a difference. Now is not a good time to be deterministic or gnostic.
Give. Repeatedly. Profligately. Give through the IOCC, through the American Red Cross, through the MCC, Friends Disaster Service, World Vision. Do not wait for detailed information. Do not wonder whether one should give to secular or Christian or Orthodox organizations. Do not try to figure out how your gifts will make a difference. Now is not a good time to be an accountant.
Do not be philosophical and think decrepit thoughts like Voltaire upon Lisbon.
Wondering why an earthquake happened is a waste of time. For Christians it could be worse, as it takes away time from prayer.
Haiti is a sad land to begin with, with a tragic history of slavery, voodoo, poverty and deforestation. My brother and a number of friends have spent much time there in mission centers, and I always heard from them that the desperation and the need never go away. Ben told me that people in the market place in Port au Prince would get large SUV-sized crates packed with rejected clothing from Goodwill: once in a while, packed inside, there would be a prized toaster or radio, just needing a small repair.
And that state of affairs was before the earthquake.
The poor get poorer ... except for when the poor are blessed, in a higher state of affairs.
And that is what Orthodox Christians do.
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