I know that we all are feeling a sense of sorrow for Haiti, but how do you really “feel” about Haiti? Our “feelings” really do matter. It is because of our feelings that we are motivated to do almost anything. We date, we marry, we have children, we buy things, and we go places, so our feelings really do matter.

Today like yesterday you will be face to face with images of Haiti. You will hear stories of devastation, heroic acts of people saving people, and stories of how people are incapable of doing all that needs to be done to fix the situation. Fact is tomorrow, next week, and next year the people of Haiti will need our help, and personal response will affect lives, and our personal response will be based on our “feelings.”

One of my concerns is to try and avoid becoming desensitized to the pain of the people. I personally cannot watch and I do not want to watch the images for more than just a few minutes at a time. I want to “feel” the pain of the people of Haiti. I do not want to become desensitized to the need. I will never do more than I feel that I need to do.

I want to encourage/challenge you to take a few moments and turn on the television and imagine that the person being pulled out of the rubble, or the person that is lying on the street with broken limbs with no doctor or pain medicine, is one of your loved ones. What would you do? What would you give? How often would you give? How involved would you become in making sure that your loved one received care?

 
Television is good and bad. When we see day after day images of devastation and hopelessness it is impossible not to become numb to the images. The key is to turn off the tube and to turn it back on and watch with the intention of understanding. We need to watch with purpose. We need to watch with personal questions stirring our hearts. Questions like what is it that “I” need to do to make a difference?

My suggestion is to “STOP!”....... for a second before you turn on your television and think about how long will you watch the images and how involved are you willing to be in the massive needs that are going to be broadcast to you? Consider your gifts, talents, and resources. Consider how you might maximize your gifts, talents, and resources to impact lives.