| EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO HAITI EARTHQUAKE DISASTER Last Sunday (January 10), the Old Testament lesson in the Revised Common Lectionary was taken from Isaiah 43. The passage reminded the Israelites that they were precious in God’s sight. It is believed that this passage comes from what is known as second Isaiah, composed around 547-540 BC (after the rise of Cyrus and before the fall of Babylon). While Israel was going through a time of many troubles in Babylon, God spoke to her to remind her that God’s deliverance was forthcoming and that Israel was precious to God. Reflecting on that passage, I argued on Tuesday morning that I too needed to remind myself that I am always precious in God’s sight even when I face hardships. At that time, of course, I did not know that Haiti was going to be hit with a terrible earthquake. After the devastation to which Haiti, my native land, has been submitted, one may be tempted to ask whether I still believe that my Haitian brothers and sisters and I are precious in God’s sight. The answer is yes; for, as Paul reminds us in Romans, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” I strongly believe that God will grant us to rise from the pains and hardships of this time into a completely new nation. I want to thank everyone for the many prayers and for support and concern in this time of great difficulties. Father Duvert is rector of the |