A Time To Rebuild

Padre Kenneth MacRae

On 12 January 2010 an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit Haiti.

At the time of writing this article it is estimated that over 50,000 people were killed, over 400,000 are homeless, and countless numbers of people are in dire need of food, water and medical help.

In the relatively safe confines of Canada, it is hard for any of us to imagine the magnitude of the grief and the despair that so many people are facing.

Thankfully, it was not long after the earthquake happened that we heard our government authorizing our Forces to be deployed to give aid to the people of Haiti.

The work will not be easy, and the sights and images that many of our people will see may scar them mentally and spiritually. Yet, it is this desire and ability to give help to those in need that has led many of us to join the Forces.

In the Bible there is a passage from Nehemiah 2:5 that has Nehemiah wanting to help restore his homeland. War had devastated Jerusalem. The walls of the city were crumpled. The temple and many homes had been destroyed.

Many years had passed since the time of destruction yet the land still lay in ruins. Nehemiah, serving as a slave to the king of Persia, took a chance and approached the king and said,

“If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

That attitude of Nehemiah still exists in many people today. As one of the chaplains at 17 Wing and at 3CFFTS in Portage, I have heard countless people who have already submitted their names and are willing to be part of the relief effort to Haiti.

When we think about some of the defining moments of our life as soldiers in the Canadian Forces, I believe that one our highest virtues is our willingness to be “in the game” and not simple be content to sit “on the sidelines”.

Where do we begin in this rebuilding process? It will be a daunting task to coordinate the relief efforts needed to bring food, shelter, medical supplies and security to people of Haiti.

However, the rebuilding process truly begins when people act upon their positive attitude and stand up to offer help to any who are in need.