A Blog by Josh Agerton

Responding to Haiti

Posted on 13. Jan, 2010 by Josh Agerton in Formation

I join with the rest of the world today in grieving over the tragic event continuing to unfold in Haiti.  It has been nothing less than devastating for this country, one of the poorest in the world.  I’ve been working on a sermon for this Sunday to introduce us into Matthew 5:1-10, the beatitudes.  It has been humbling to scroll through the pictures on the news sites and see what is happening.  I see faces that are mourning, broken in spirit, and meek…brought down to nothing.  I am trusting Jesus’ words while also wrestling with them at the same time:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

It is my prayer that the church may be a part in fulfilling these words for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.  Today our team at Cornerstone Church has been figuring out how to respond.  Our first response is to pray.  Please pray for these in Haiti, for Haitians all around the world seeing their home in rubble, and for those workers on the front line.  Beyond this all we can do at this point is give of our finances to those who already are on the ground in Haiti.  So, this Sunday we are preparing to take up a special offering to assist in the relief effort. If you are going to write a check, you can make it out to Cornerstone United Methodist Church and put UMCOR in the memo line. (UMCOR stands for United Methodist Committee on Relief.)  They are one of the relief organizations on the ground in Haiti right now. Your money will go directly to helping those who have been affected by the earthquake.