Believers cry out to God in a church in Haiti. (BHM photo)
Haiti (MNN) ― One thing is spreading even faster than cholera in Haiti: fear.
Reports vary from every angle in terms of the spread and lethality of cholera throughout the nation. Some say the epidemic has just gotten started and is certain to infect significantly more. Others say the illness is slowing down. Still others say the outbreak is picking up speed but becoming less pestilent. No one can be certain what exactly will happen.
What is certain is that cholera has killed more than 1,800 people throughout Haiti in just a few months. What is certain is that well over 72,000 cases of the disease have been reported. What is certain is that violence continues to flow into the streets in reaction to recent elections. What is certain is fear.
"Just in this year, 2010, there was the earthquake first of all in January, then Hurricane Tomas, then the cholera outbreak, and then the chaos after the elections. It's just been one thing after another," says Ron Sparks with Baptist Haiti Mission (BHM).
Throughout the eleven months from the January earthquake to the November elections, millions of lives have been lost in Haiti. Homes have collapsed, children have been orphaned, church leaders have fallen ill. Even a Baptist Haiti Mission school teacher was lost to cholera. No one can blame those who have managed to survive the extensive trauma for being at least a bit nervous.
The suffocating fear that now chokes the country, though, has led to some troubling spiritual outcomes. For one thing, many believers have been too scared even to go to church.
"On Sunday, the attendance at church was about a third of what it normally is," notes Sparks. "This is sad because it's a reflection of the fear that people have of going out, be it because of violence or because of cholera."
Beyond that, people are turning to other spiritual forces out of their uneasiness. Scared and desperate for help, many Haitians are looking to traditional voodoo practices for guidance.
"[Fear] sets the stage for the other false religions to flare up, as they've been recently hearing more of the voodoo drums at night. People become victim to these false religions and false hope that's out there and especially prevalent in areas like Haiti," says Sparks.
Many Christians have managed to keep their eyes on Christ despite the chaos. One believer even pointed out that the Clorox they have been using to clean their water is akin to Christ's grace, washing sin away from our hearts. A number of believers are clinging to the hope they find in Philippians 4 of God's "peace that surpasses understanding." Sparks says this assurance has been a testimony to others.
Pray that Haitian believers would cling to Christ as their Prince of Peace. Pray that as people watch believers trust in God for their provision, they too will set their eyes on the Lord rather than false religions.
You can help believers in Haiti in various ways through BHM's ministry. Pray about sponsoring a child's school tuition--a particularly pressing need for children whose parents have lost jobs or lives--starting in 2011. Find more ways to help and pray at www.bhm.org.
