I've been sitting in a tiny outdoor airport terminal for a while now. We're now on the third time through the Celion Deon cd that is blaring through the speaker mounted just two feet above my head.
As we waited, a little boy came up to me and wanted to shine my shoes. Today I'm wearing my 7 year old "run around in the mud" shoes. I'm sure you have a similar pair. I had no desire to have these shoes in any better condition then they were, but was happy to have a reason to give this little boy some money.
As he shined my shoes, I thought about how shoe shinning is a modern day foot washing. The same type of people would be doing the job (enconomic/class), it's a dirty job, cleaning the dirtiest part of the body. Then the thought overwhelmingly hit me-what if this were Jesus on his knees in front of me scrubbing the years of dirt and dust off of my feet. Could I stand there and allow him to do that for me?
Even as I write this now, I don't have an answer. I'm sure I would have reacted in some similar ways the disciples reacted.
As I hum along to the titanic song for the third time, I think about how I am so happy to be going home and at the same time, wished we had more time to be here. We sqeezed so much into two days time. Days started so early and went to very late with very little down time. I've just now started finding the time to process the things I've experienced. One thought (or emotion more acurately) that is certain in me is that I'm renewed in my commitment to make a difference for these people I've come to love.
I'm going to begin editting more of the photos and videos we shot here this week and will share as quickly as I can.
-Chris
PS.
Lord willing...we return home sometime after mid-night....if the plane arrives, if we get on, if the plane takes off...if. The thought that runs through my mind is the same thought I have each time I prepare to leave the island...the thought that I am about to step out of the pervasive suffering and lack that so defines Haiti and step back into my over-privilegeded life of electircity, fully stocked food pantry, water heater and over stuffed clostets. I step out, while my friends and brothers and sisters here have no escape available to them. And what I admire is their determination to not escape but to see their homeland transformed by the power and grace of our God. So once again I recommit to and raising awareness and support for this grand vision. I leave Jean, Jos, Tanya, Wilson, Marita and many other people whose faces are in my mind but the ever present savor Jesus never leaves nor forsakes. Yeah God. If you want your life to matter give your life to what matters most to God...people. If you want your life to matter to people...make people matter to you. -Douglas
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