Patrick's Musings #7

December 17, 2008


1) Our Creole instructor is not only fluent in English and Creole, but he is also an expert on a variety of issues ranging from Voodoo hexes to the New Jersey judicial system. Today he once again dipped into his infinite well of knowledge and shared a juicy piece of information with us about Haitian women. According to our beloved professor, Haitian women can, and do, carry out revenge on their poorly behaved spouses to a degree that would make even Laurena Bobbitt incredulous. Our professor prefaced his lesson on the intricacies of Haitian women with the statement that wives in Haiti are notorious for going to extremes when extracting revenge on their husbands. He told us a few tales including one about a man that apparently mistreated his wife at home. The man ended up being stuffed into a barrel by his wife. This barrel was later filled with acid. All the authorities ever found were his bones. I sensed a warning in our professor’s voice as he shared this story: beware of Haitian women he seemed to be saying. However, after spending some time with this man it’s relatively apparent why some women would resort to such measures. Interestingly enough, I noticed Kim taking a large amount of notes while we were being told this information. Coincidence?

2) Did you know that there are only two countries in the world that do not have a McDonald’s? They are Bhutan and Haiti. Bhutan is a Buddhist country just east of Nepal and the northern tip of India. While I cannot speak about how Bhutan is fairing without the golden arches, I can say with complete confidence that Haiti seems to be managing. In fact, Haiti has it’s own fast food chain called “Epidor.” Epidor’s food is pretty darn good actually. Their burgers are somewhat lacking, primarily in meat, but their fries are not bad and their sodas are cold. My favorite part of Epidor is their logo, which is a French fry with a large smile on its face. Granted it looks more like something Bob Marley might have smoked than a French fry, but McDonald’s fries don’t have faces. Way to step it up Haiti.

3) This week in my Hebrew Bible class as I was wrapping up a lecture on the book of Exodus, I asked the students how they thought the stories spoke to the people of Haiti and how they might use Exodus in their future ministries. As I was bracing myself for profound answers that would demonstrate the power of my teaching and the depths of the connections that I was making with the students, a hand quickly shot up. The student went on and on in Creole for nearly two minutes. I was intrigued and eager to hear his thoughts. My interpreter turned to me and said, “He want to know why man in Iraq throw shoe at George Bush?” These are the moments when I know I’m truly touching lives.

4) Poverty manifests itself in so many different ways. One of the ways it surfaces in Haiti is in the large amount of stray dogs that roam the streets of Port-au-Prince. These dogs are everywhere and can always be found in large garbage heaps and anywhere else they might find food. As many of you know, I have a special affinity for humanity’s best friend and one of the sites that really shakes me up is seeing one of these dogs run over on the road. It is a relatively common site in the city and something that is unavoidable as long as there are tons of unneutered and non-spayed dogs living alongside the dense traffic of the city. In the grand scheme of Haiti, I know it is only a minor thing really, but I think it is another sad example of the pervasive nature of poverty.

5) As missionaries operating out of a model of “co-mission,” Kim and I are constantly called to open ourselves to receiving gifts from the people of Haiti. This is perhaps the most important aspect of our work in Haiti, but it can also be the most difficult to carry out. This past Sunday was a beautiful example of how co-mission can take place. Kim and I attended a worship service in Cite Solei, which can only be described as powerful. Kim documented this experience well on our blog, so I won’t get into details here. I will only say that there was a song that had so much spirit and soul-force in it that I nearly wept from happiness. Needless to say, this is not a common feeling for me in church. But last Sunday I felt so moved by the singing and dancing of the people in Cite Solei that I felt like I received a gift that I can never fully give back. I think this experience epitomizes “co-mission.”

6) The random t-shirt of the day goes to a man who entered our bank with a blue t-shirt that had a picture of a hockey player and read, “Finally a sport middle-sized white guys can play.” He seemed surprised to actually run into one in the bank. Little does he know that I am currently dominating the CONASPEH after-school basketball league.

7) Jesus allegedly said in Matthew 25:36, “I was naked and you gave me clothing.” This may seem like an odd statement until you live in a place like Haiti. Everyday Kim and I see naked children playing and standing alongside the roads. This morning, however, we saw a grown woman standing at a busy intersection with only a pair of shorts on. She was clearly suffering from some severe form of mental illness and was in a lot of distress. She had scabs and blood covering parts of her body, which told the story of just how rough her life must be. It was a disturbing, but powerful site to see. We decided to circle back around and give her a t-shirt we happened to have in the car. I think I speak for Kim too when I say that we didn’t felt particularly great or empowered by giving the women our t-shirt. Let’s face it; her life is not exactly radically different after the act. Yet, I can’t help but think about Jesus’ words in Matthew. I believe that Christianity does a disservice to itself and the world when it portrays God as an omnipotent and omniscient force. The God of Jesus that I am drawn to suffers in the “least of these my brothers and sisters.” It is not a God of unparalled power and knowledge, but a God of vulnerability and one who is present in all places and with all people, including on the street corners of Port-au-Prince. With that comes today’s quote of the day from historical Jesus scholar John Dominick Crossan, “The Church gave unto God the attributes which belonged exclusively to Caeser.” Will we continue to do the same?