By: Casey Zachary

I couldn’t help but think of the Haitian people this morning as I read the first few chapters of Joshua and the account of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River, entering into the Promised Land.

I realize this story is specific to those who were led by Joshua that day and isn’t necessarily prescriptive for every situation, circumstance and people group. Understanding it is poor hermeneutics, I can’t help but make the exegetical leap connecting the Israelites standing on the banks of the Jordan with the plight of the Haitians today. I don’t believe it can’t hurt to pray this type of intervention by God and miracle come the Haitians’ way. Like those Israelites, Haitians were delivered out from underneath slavery a few hundred years ago, but the fullness of life and liberty they hoped to enjoy has remained elusive these 200+ years. It has been a constant “wondering in the desert” for them. The political, economic, and social instability has yet to allow them to settle down and build the local and national communities they know are possible.

I am sure the Red Sea seemed pretty daunting. I’m sure the Jordan River, that was overflowing its banks, seemed like an insurmountable obstacle to the Israelite people. As all of us (including Haitians, missionaries, humanitarian aid workers, and political powers) stand on the edge of where Haiti is and fix our eyes on where Haiti needs to be, I suspect, much like the Israelites standing at the shores of the Red Sea or the banks of the Jordan, we shake our heads in wonder of how we will overcome the obstacles and the odds and get to the other side. And Haitians don’t have the luxury of manna to fill their bellies as they wait for the day of deliverance to come.

The post-quake reconstruction, coupled with the current political impasse, leads one to believe Haiti is at a type of crossroads. Cross over to the land of milk and honey and establish stability, or turn and retrace the steps of the last 200 years and continue to wonder in the desert. Certainly, this is a bit simplistic as there are multiple factors influencing what has led to the current situation, but I hope you understand my point. We all need to work hard, being diligent and faithful in our efforts. We need to pray for God’s mercy for those suffering. We need to cry out to God and His provision for an effective and honest political leader. We need to advocate for the powerless, serve the underserved, and pursue justice in an unyielding way.

We also need to realize we are not standing on the brink all by ourselves, individually or as a collective group. God is with us, in us, around us. He is behind us, before us, above us, beneath us. He is to our left and our right.

God is sovereign. God is strong. God is able.

We can’t manufacture the parting of the waters. We can’t determine when, where, and how God administers justice.

We can and must pray to that end. We can pray God gives us wisdom and understanding to make sound decisions. We can pray God give us strength to step out on to the dry land and pass to the other side. We can pray that God will cultivate the type of character in us that will cause us to be grateful once we leave these current trials and troubles behind.

The parting of the waters has served as a reference point to the Israelite people for thousands of years, reminding them of God’s faithfulness, love, and provision for them. Let us all pray that these formative and crucial post-quake years will serve as a reference point of God’s goodness for generations of Haitians to come.

And if Christ returns before those generations of Haitians come to pass, then the Haitian believers will be under the rule and authority of a benevolent king, Jesus Christ. A wise and trustworthy leader. Something Haitians have yearned to see for far too long.

JCD claimed to be president for life.

JC will be president for eternity.