Death All Around

Even if you are loath to think about death and eternal things, Haiti has a way of pushing it into the forefront of your life.  You can't go through a week without hearing of a death.  Death in a road accident, death from a disease, death of old age, death of a child from an unknown cause.  Death is all around.  It is even spray painted onto the walls like this sign saying, "Goodbye Juditte Jean Baptiste."

This weekend I traveled to Lagonav to preach at the church in Nan Kafe.  I was struck as people in the congregation spoke of several deaths in the larger church community that week.  Two older folks had died who were connected to families in the church.  A young woman in her 30s who was an old acquaintance of Dumerle Saint Jean who traveled with me to the churches.  Death had reached into the lives of these immediate families.  But the larger community, including the church in Nan Kafe, grieved with them.  Even the gray and rainy skies seemed to weep echo their weeping.

But they also prayed.  And being in the Lord's house on a Sunday morning gave an opportunity to not only express their sorrow but to be confirmed in their hope.  The Bible clearly tells us that because Jesus both died and was raised from the dead we have a hope.  Our hope is found in the fact that though those we love may die, they will be raised again.  And those in Christ await the return of Jesus when they will be reunited with their resurrection bodies to ever praise Him.  This truth was confirmed by the saints in Nan Kafe through their joyous singing despite their difficult week.

On Saturday after arriving on the ferry from the mainland I had already been confronted with the reality of death.  My usual route up to the OPC Guest House was blocked by a large crowd.  It could have been a demonstration but the Sunday suits and dresses along with the music band made clear it was a funeral.  The people were streaming out of the Church of God in Ansagale and making they way to the cemetery for the interment.  They were saying goodbye because once again death had claimed a loved one.  But like the saints in Nan Kafe they had hope.  In Jesus Christ death had been swallowed up in victory!