March 7, 2010 Haiti

Welcome to Joyful Reflections, I am your host, Fr. Scott Seethaler. I am a Capuchin-Franciscan priest from St. Augustine Friary in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh. I am a Catholic Evangelist who travels throughout the country spreading the Good News that God is with us and He will never abandon us.

I have waited until now to comment on the devastation and loss of life that occurred when the earthquake hit Haiti on January 12th. When a tragedy of this magnitude occurs, questions about God’s mercy naturally arise. These questions surfaced when the tsunami hit Indonesia, when Katrina hit New Orleans and now when the earthquake devastated Haiti.

I believe that religious leaders should choose their words carefully when they discuss the role of God in a tragedy caused by Mother Nature. If they were truly wise and humble they would simply say that we are dealing with a great mystery. They can say that as terrible as the tragedy may have been they believe God will work through the tragedy to bring good out of it. They can say that God has no love for pain and will supply many opportunities for people to come to the aid of all those who suffered.

However, this did not happen in the case of Pat Robertson. Like most people I was offended by his comment that the people of Haiti had been punished by God because of a pack they had made with the devil. This is a man who claims to know the Bible. If he really did, he would not have made his comment. Why do I say this? Because it says quite clearly in the Bible that no one knows the mind of God, that God’s ways are completely different than ours. To lump together all of the people who have died and the suffering people who survived the earthquake with those who are evil and corrupt is absolutely wrong.
In my opinion, Robertson’s comment was more than insensitive. It was an act of idolatry. Pat Robertson made God into his own image and likeness. Many people do that. For example, some people have God justifying anything they do, and others have God punishing the people they would punish. In both cases, they pretend that they know the mind of God. And when they quote scripture, they do it very selectively.  I can see how his comment could drive more people away from organized religion and cause them to question the very existence of God. Pat Robertson did God and all of us who preach in the name of God a great disservice.

Let me now turn my focus to the corruption that has existed in Haiti for a long time. You probably have seen the reports that show how much money the United States has given to Haiti over the past few decades. President Bill Clinton was especially interested in helping Haiti. Yet we know that very little of the money that our country has sent ever reached those who were most in need. If there is a silver lining at all behind the tragedy of the earthquake, it is that now the international community can not neglect Haiti any longer. They must address the needs of this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They must make sure that any financial aid that is given to rebuild the country is used correctly. I am told that there are 250 non-governmental agencies working in Haiti. These are the groups that I would give the money to. I can tell you from my personal experience in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I have built a hospital for the poor that the non-governmental agencies are the ones that help the poor the most.

We know that even here in our country we have to be careful with the money we send to help during a natural disaster. There have been reports that billions of dollars that was sent to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina never got to the victims or are still unaccounted for. Con artists quickly surface after a tragedy and prey on the weak people and on those who want to generously help them.

I know that God has a plan for our world that is slowly unfolding. The fact that there are natural disasters do not stop God’s plan. I believe that our God is compassionate and truly loves us. I believe that all the suffering that people endure in this world pales in comparison to the joy they will experience in heaven if they do not give up on God.

Finally, the earthquake in Haiti must make us all aware of the potential loss of life and property that will occur if a major earthquake hits California. We have been told time and again that one will occur sooner or later. We need to pray now that all of us will do all we can to help those affected should one occur.
Our prayer partners this week are the people of Haiti.

To read a written excerpt of today’s program visit my website at fatherscott.com. This is Father Scott Seethaler, join me next time for another Joyful Reflection. Until then, have a great week and remember: TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD.