Justice

"We forgive, but God still believes in justice." During one particularly trying meeting with teachers this past week, one of the teachers spoke these words. She was teary eyed as she shared some of the injustices they had recently experienced in life. I talked with her after and told her how moving these words were to my heart, and how I respected her perspective on the trials of life. In Haiti there are many things which simply don't go the way you might expect they should. For example, earlier this week the teachers were talking with me about electricity. As I have shared before, it would be foolish to assume that you would have access to electricity if you traveled around Haiti. Even now, almost two and a half years after the earthquake, there are still many regions of the country that have yet to see power restored to their areas. If you do live in an area where there is city power, like Port Au Prince, there is no guarantee that the power will be on consistently. Even more frustrating is how the system of payment for electricity works. The honest way to get electricity is to purchase it from the city. If all goes well, you fill out the paperwork, pay your fee, and they provide electricity to your property. However, this is not always the case. Some of the teachers told me about their experiences in filling out paperwork and paying their fees, and many months later they are still without any power. However, they have neighbors who have illegally taken power from their neighbors, and paid them a fee instead of going through the proper channels with the city. This type of frustration with the system is common in Haiti. The teachers were actually full of humor and a degree of resignation as they shared this and other similar examples of the brokenness of the system. This is a simple example of the types of injustice that they deal with everyday. There are other, much more desperate problems in Haiti that make me cry out for justice. When we see the way that many children are living as "restaveks" (essentially a system of domestic slaves), it is difficult not to question God's dedication to justice. The poverty and hopelessness that fills the streets all around the country can make you question where God is and why He seems to be so slow to right the wrongs we perceive in this life. However, this frustration and confusion all stems from a tainted view of justice. My heart and mind crave immediate consequences for wrongdoers and for swift relief from the pain, suffering, and struggles of this life. I have been sharing these struggles with some of the other teachers visiting from the States, and during one of our group devotional times we read a passage from a book by John Piper where he speaks about God carrying our burden for justice. First, Piper directs the reader to 1 Peter 2:23, which speaking about Christ says, "And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." The only solution to the question of justice Piper says, is to follow the example of Jesus on earth. "Jesus handled the wrongs done to him by 'handing them over' to God who would judge all things justly. Leave it to Him. Prepare to be treated unjustly..." Although I think I will continue with this struggle to find a balance between forgiving wrongs in this life and seeking justice for the oppressed and mistreated, these dialogues are very helpful. Coming to Haiti pushes my heart to dig deeply into what I believe and reflect on the truths that I can easily hold at a distance when I am comfortable in my daily routines back home. Again, I am so thankful to be able to continue this dialogue with you and to share some of the experiences in Haiti! Love in Christ, Jessie 

 Because of a recent storm, we are without electricity and internet, so the posts will be few and far between, but I promise to write and post with pictures when I can!