We don’t need to tell you that we hate what is happening in Haiti right now with kidnappings, gang violence, fuel shortages, and immense insecurity. But we don’t really know what else to say, so . . . We hate it. And for the most part, we don’t know what to do about it.
What the gangs are doing in Haiti is unacceptable. And so, we pray for those who have been taken hostage. And we also pray for the kidnappers themselves. Just as these hostages are held captive by their kidnappers, so are these kidnappers held hostage by their own mindsets of violence, desperation, and lack of empathy.
We prayerfully imagine ourselves in solidarity with the millions of innocent Haitians caught in crossfires, both literal and metaphorical. But we also recognize the limitations of “prayerful imagination,” for there’s never been a people group liberated exclusively by prayer. It has always involved localized, embodied, human interaction.
We’re not leaving Haiti. Our work, friends, relationships, and mission are bigger than violence and kidnappings. Love is greater than hate. But, we can’t turn a blind eye to the realities in Haiti either.
So, we are modifying some of what we do so as to give maximum anonymity and safety to our friends, beneficiaries, and staff in Haiti. In the coming months, LQVE Haiti will be very frugal with posting or sharing any names or faces of our friends in Haiti. People who work for or receive care from non-profit organizations are often prime targets for kidnappings, and so we are going to do everything we can to keep our friends safe. We are also in the process of helping those connected with us to get out of Port au Prince and move to safety in the countryside. The overwhelming majority of the violence and insecurity is in Haitian cities right now, mainly Port au Prince. We hope our friends will be able to return to their homes someday soon in Port au Prince, but as of right now we know we cannot ask them to stay there.
We pray for the safe release of kidnapped foreigners and Haitians alike. We hold onto hope that love and peace will win in the end. We pray for God’s kingdom to come in Haiti (and the U.S). as it is is in heaven.
Amen.
