I'm sure by now that you have heard, read, or seen the news about the earthquake in Haiti. My husband Greg told me about it when it happened after seeing it on the news channel. My heart is heavy and I feel totally devastated for the Haitian people. This is such a tragedy in an already improvised nation. But I must be honest with you, I have been even more devastated by the comments of so called "Christian's" blaming this disaster on God and saying the Haitian people got what they desired. Yes you heard me right. That is what I have heard from so-called Christian people.
According to Pat Robertson, the Haitian people way back in the day, and I truly mean way back in the day, made a pack with the devil that they would serve him if he freed them from the French.
"And you know...something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, "We will serve you if you will get us free from the French." True story. And so, the devil said, "OK, it's a deal." And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor." ~ Pat Robertson on the Christian Broadcasting Network
You can watch his comments for yourself as he refers to the destruction of buildings (which fell on people and killed them) being a "blessing".
Of course the devil being against oppression (yea right) helped them to revolt and free themselves. (I'm always humored by what people blame on the devil. The devil in my opinion gets way to much credit and attention for things he doesn't even do.) Now all these years later God decides to send an earthquake to kill hundreds of thousands of people as punishment. I DON'T THINK SO! If we all got what we deserved we would all be dead, but God is love and full of mercy.
What amazes me the most is when I ask these individuals to show me in the new covenant where Jesus ever used natural disasters or violence of any kind to harm or kill anyone they can't, but they quickly take me to the old covenant, which by the way, Jesus came to fulfill. I quickly remind them if they are going to live by the old covenant, they need to take an animal to church to sacrifice on the altar the next time they go. Come on people, let's not pick and choose, cut and paste so that we can say and live by the rules we want. The bottom line is Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly. He does not kill, steal, and destroy. That's what the word of God tells us the devil is doing.
As I ended my conversation with these so-called Christian's I ask them what makes you think the devil didn't send that earthquake to kill all those people; why did it have to be God? After all the devil is the one who kills, steals and destroys.
One day God in all his glory will give us a new heaven and a new earth, the Word of God will be fulfilled and we will live for eternity in His presence. But until then we need to keep the two greatest commandments given to us by God himself; to love the Lord God with all your heart, mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. Who is your neighbor you ask? Anybody, anywhere regardless of gender, race, social statics, or sexual orientation; that's who your neighbor is. And by all means live by the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Please let's keep the Haitian people in our prayers. I'm sure it will be a long recovery period for them. May God's love, mercy and provision be poured out upon them at their point of need.
