Haiti Earthquake Damage 2021
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake toppled dozens of structures and killed some 1,300 people in Haiti Aug. 15. (Voice of America Photo | Public Domain)
A United Methodist Insight Column
Amid all the other challenges at home and abroad, United Methodists kept close watch as of Aug. 17 on two developing crises: the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after the U.S. military departure and the aftermath of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
Regarding Afghanistan, people of faith were most concerned with the humanitarian plight of Afghanis, especially translators and others who worked closely with U.S. military and diplomats. Horrifying scenes of people trying to cling to departing U.S. planes at Kabul airport brought back memories of the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war. As political blame began flying, historian Heather Cox Richardson’s Aug. 17 column made a point about crisis management that we find worthy of repeating:
“It strikes me that some of the same people currently expressing concern over the fate of Afghanistan’s women and girls work quite happily with Saudi Arabia, which has its own repressive government, and have voted against reauthorizing our own Violence Against Women Act. Some of the same people worrying about the slowness of our evacuation of our Afghan allies voted just last month against providing more visas for them, and others seemed to worry very little about our utter abandonment of our Kurdish allies when we withdrew from northern Syria in 2019. And those worrying about democracy in Afghanistan seem to be largely unconcerned about protecting voting rights here at home.
“Most notably to me [Heather], some of the same people who are now focusing on keeping troops in Afghanistan to protect Americans seem uninterested in stopping the spread of a disease that has already killed more than 620,000 of us and that is, once again, raging.”
One of the distressing realities of humans’ knowledge of good and evil is that often we find ourselves in situations where actions intended to bring about good have adverse reactions. We’re forced to live with the pain our good intentions have caused. Humility in such situations prompts us to beg God’s forgiveness and guidance to make the best of what we face.
UMCOR aids Haiti quake survivors
NPR reports: “About 1,300 people are dead after Haiti’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Saturday. Rescuers are struggling to reach the most heavily damaged area, as mudslides caused by aftershocks are once again closing previously cleared roads. Aid is being delivered to some areas by boat or helicopter.”
Heather Hahn of UM News has the latest on United Methodist efforts to help Haiti survivors in an Aug. 16 article, “Standing with Haiti amid quake and storm.” Briefly, “United Methodists are working with longtime partners in Haiti to respond after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake and as a major storm approaches,” Hahn writes. See a link to the full story below.
Anti-racism prayers continue
Discipleship Ministries – mainly because of the diligent work of staff member Derek C. Weber – has done a stellar job in the past 18 months of finding and distributing daily prayers for anti-racism. Here’s a particularly notable entry from Aug. 17:
“Lord, I ask you to give empathy and understanding to those seeking education on racism to become agents of righteous change. Grant your church humility to have honest conversations about race, building bridges with those of different ethnic backgrounds toward a unified message of justice pointing to the gospel. Enable all forms of government, community, and sectors of society to engage in loving discourse that honors all people in bringing social justice. May conversations lead to Spirit-led actions that transform communities and shift our national discourse.” From Prayers That Destroy the Spirit of Racism: A Prayer Guide for Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation (pdf) (American Bible Society, 2020), page 4.
If you’re not receiving this daily source of spiritual sustenance for the ongoing task of pursuing racial justice, do yourself a favor and subscribe today.
COVID Updates: Zimbabwe churches stay closed; more online worship
AllAfrica.com reports that most churches in Zimbabwe, including United Methodist congregations, remained closed Sunday, Aug. 15, despite the lifting of a ban on corporate worship. Most churches were deliberating over how to safely resume worship gatherings, although some Apostolic and Roman Catholic churches resumed in-person services.
“A sizeable number of churchgoers were witnessed by NewZimbabwe.com undergoing screening for Covid-19 at the entrance [to a Roman Catholic church], which involved temperature checks and proof of vaccination,” said the news report.
Meanwhile in the United States, a study by United Methodist Communications has found that “the pandemic has brought upon the dawn of widespread hybrid worship services where the majority of churches are offering both online and in-person service options. These bring with them a return to children and youth programs, as well as small group and Sunday school for adults. Churches are also continuing to use their buildings for food distribution and community outreach, nonprofit organizations, and support groups,” says a press release by Brenda Smotherman.
Time to get a COVID-19 booster? Check out this article on The Conversation for answers to your most common questions about the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s another good link from the Washington Post’s Lilly Lines newsletter: “The Food and Drug Administration last week approved extra doses of coronavirus vaccine for immunocompromised people. The move will provide millions of vulnerable Americans an option to boost their bodies’ defenses against covid-19 as the more contagious delta variant drives up infections.”
Advice for leaders in these tough times
The Rev. Jack Shitama, whose posts from his blog “The Non-Anxious Leader,” appear regularly on Insight, has two especially good recommendations in his weekly “Two for Tuesday” email. Here they are:
- "6 Strategies for Leading Through Uncertainty by Rebecca Zucker and Darin Rowell. Let's face it. Things are more uncertain than they were a month ago. Even if the last 18 months have taught you to live with uncertainty, you can never get enough guidance on how to lead through it. These strategies might not be new, but they serve as a good reminder. I especially liked knowing the difference between complicated and complex. I need that right now.
- "6 Ways Leaders Can Renew Their Hope and Strength by Tom Berlin. This is a reminder that there is no replacement for a healthy spiritual life and proper self-care. It's not rocket science. It's simple, but not easy. Without this type of reminder, it's easy to forget."
Media Mentions as of Aug. 17, 2021
Refugee aid groups criticize Biden for stumbles in evacuating 'desperate' Afghans – Religion News Service
LGBTQ freedoms — all of our freedoms — depend on restoring voting rights – Religion News Service
US Golfers In Support To Access To Higher Education for Africa University Students ... – New Zimbabwe.com
New Research Suggests Christians See LGBT Progress as Threatening | Religion & Politics – Religion & Politics
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.