Haiti through the Eyes of His Disciple

I try not to be a divisive Christian, and I hope I don't come across as one now. I'll leave it to smart theologians and anyone else led by God to have an opinion on the whys of calamity or to discuss Pat Robertson, Obama, or CNN. But I'm an ordinary person. And if being "out of the ordinary" means I have to get in the mix of these things, then I'm content to be ordinary forever.

It is in my ordinary that I find Him extraordinary. Because as I spend time focusing on His way, His truth and His life, I don't have the passion to discuss why these things happen or the interest to debate the big flashy media disputes that follow as a result of people telling why these things happen. (And I'm NOT downing those who God leads to speak on these things...not my intent at all...so hear me, k?)

All of the above has led to the stirring comments and questions which have settled in my inbox and have left me unsettled in my spirit. What is my response to the earthquake in Haiti? What is my response to comments made by a well-known evangelist? What is my response to the responses in need of a response?

Though I have a great many opinions, and though I believe that everyone should speak what God has laid on their hearts to speak about such matters, the only response I feel led to give publicly is the one He has laid on my heart as His disciple privately.

I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ, cleverly disguised as a wife, mom, writer, speaker, auntie, sister, mentor and friend. And as His disciple first, I will choose to seek Him first. Whether it's natural disasters such as these, terrorist attacks, personal tragedies, economic crisis, or the neediness all around the world, I cannot spend my day's focus on whys.

"Why" doesn't matter to me as much as "Who" I can call on for answers and "What" He asks me to do in response. In order to look to the right "Who" and know the right "What," I must know "Where" to look: His Word.

When I do, I learn how Jesus responded to a crowd of lost and hurting people:

"Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages.

He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news,

and healed their diseased bodies,

healed their bruised and hurt lives.

When He looked out over the crowds,

His heart broke.

So confused and aimless they were,

like sheep with no shepherd.

'What a huge harvest!' He said to His disciples.

'How few workers!

On your knees and pray for harvest hands!'"

Matthew 9:35-50, The Message

"His heart broke."

When Jesus saw the lost, the hurting, the diseased, the bruised, the sick...His heart broke. As I look at a world in the same condition, shouldn't my heart break too? It should, and it does.

But unlike me, in response to the overwhelming needs in front of Him, Jesus didn't worry or spend time analyzing why all of this was in front of Him. He called His disciples to immediate action instead. "On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

So I'll continue to pray. As I do, I'll be led to respond His way--with love in word and in deed--not to spend time worrying or wondering why. Out of Jesus' love and compassion for a lost world, this is what He asks of me.

It is what He asks from all of us who call ourselves His disciples.

Today, brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what we are passionate about, no matter what spiritual gifts we have been given--no matter what title or label we wear in this world, whether prophet or pastor or politician or parent or phd--let us remember that we are first His Disciples.

May our responses to the earthquake in Haiti be those of prayer and surrender to the One who knows the whys. As a result, we may be asked to refrain from personal opinions and throw out words of comfort and loving Truth instead. We may be directed to pray more and speak less. We may be persuaded to step outside our comfort zones to open our mouths and share the gospel. We may be led by the Spirit to loosen the money clip or toss the toolbox in a big suitcase and go...or to do some other hard thing. Not so that we'll be seen as self-righteous do-gooders, but so that the world will experience Him.

Disciples, it's why we're here.

"Let me tell you why you are here.

You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out

the God-flavors of this earth.

If you lose your saltiness,

how will people taste godliness?"

"Here's another way to put it:

You're here to be light,

bringing out the God-colors in the world.

God is not a secret to be kept.

I'm putting you on a light stand.

Now that I've put you there on a hilltop,

on a light stand--shine!"

"Keep open house; be generous with your lives.

By opening up to others,

you'll prompt people to open up with God,

this generous Father in Heaven."

Also:

"You're blessed when you care.

At the moment of being 'care-full,'

you find yourselves cared for."

"You're blessed when you get your inside world--

your mind and heart--put right.

Then you can see God in the outside world."

"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate

instead of compete or fight.

That's when you discover who you really are,

and your place in God's family."

(All verses from Matthew 5 in the Message)