The Bible teaches us how to deal with negative circumstances in our own lives, but more importantly in other people’s lives. You see, tragedy strikes all of us in one shape or another. Sometimes we can’t understand why something happens, and in our confusion we turn to others to find the answers. I can’t tell you if there is a reason behind what happened in Haiti, but I can tell you what the Bible says about what should happen after this terrible tragedy.

The Bible is specific on how we should act in response to suffering. Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18 says to “love our neighbor as yourself;” Luke chapter 6 verse 31 explains what loving our neighbor means: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This isn’t a sense of fairness dictating your actions: it’s about showing more care towards others than we show for ourselves.

In Haiti, government officials have confirmed 150,000 dead, with many more people left under the wreckage. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 58 verses 7 and 8 that in times like this, we should “share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;” I believe this means that when we help others up, we help ourselves as well. This is the truest act of love, being there for others when they are in pain, in trouble, or just on a rough road in life and playing out John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” This does not only apply to life-or-death situations… This can also apply to setting your own priorities aside and working for someone else’s good when there is no known benefit.

The world is hurting for Haiti. 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, “And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.” Worldwide, humans stretched out hands in the hope that they can help in some small way. The Hope For Haiti Now telethon in the United States raised $57 million in relief funds; Italy sent its own officials to help Haiti’s infrastructure recover; the UN has helped 30,000 Haitians find work in the quake’s aftermath. This is love, giving of yourself when there’s no benefit to you but giving anyway. Will my heart to be ready when the next world difficulty strikes?

Today, I want to find an opportunity to love.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 9:12 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.