God is Good

I preached on the book of Job this morning, wow what a book. But it isn't always what you think... As I stood there talking of the good God that creates for us a place where the oceans' waves can only come so far or a place where even the moon and the stars obey His command I found myself in that preaching hole, one that you have to dig out of using only scripture to guide the way. Three years ago it seemed as if God had let loose the evils of hell on this country and who was I to stand and preach about a good God to these people? Me, who has hot water, a pantry full of food and healthcare at my fingertips? What does one say? How does one speak of such a good God in the midst of suffering? Ultimately that is the message of Job... And these people here have not only lived that life but they know that God. And as much as people would like to think that I preached this morning... It was and always has been the other way around down here. As the Eucharist was served this morning I had the blessing of holding the wine as Pere Bruno put the Bread on the children's tongues. There are some things that a camera can never catch, and the beautiful big white eyes of those dear children looking into Pere Bruno's soft, tender face gave such a feeling of faith and trust. They did not fear him nor did they run towards him, they came slowly knowing that this man would supply their every need. As we left worship, the two youngest sat with the crumbs of their Communion still on their lips. How beautiful an image - to live as people fresh from the celebration of the Lord's Supper still fresh on our lips and ready to share with th world. How would we be different? Who would we serve? How would we live? Someday I hope to find those answers, and I'm pretty sure that's what God is doing to my heart down here. As I search the landscape from the back of that Daihatsu truck I see life... Kids with strings and torn plastic bags made into a kite flying in the center of dirt and the filth of Cap Haitien. I see the hardened faces of the elderly, mouths too tired to smile and eyes with more of life's wisdom than any one person should know. I see young men sorting rusty, old and abandoned auto parts in hopes that they'll sell. I see children bathing in buckets in the street and women doling out food praying it will be enough. I smell the charcoal burning in the air and feel the oppression of a life that has been and will always be lived under the intense pressure of poverty that you and I will never know. And I remember that our God is so good and I wonder why I was born in Virginia and why Davise was born in Terrier Rouge, Haiti and I once again try to dig myself out of a theological hole that leaves me wanting... For what, I'm not sure. I know there are answers, and for me scripture is all I need but I will forever question who I would be if my children lived, slept and ate in the dirt, if my Isabelle had worms and Jacob worked the fields day in and day out at age 13. If I had to choose who ate lunch and who got to wear shoes and who went to school and who stayed home. You see, I can say God is so good, because let's face it, life is good. The question of Job will forever haunt me with the answers I don't really ever want to know. Those Answers that many here have found and in the midst of this life they have also found that God is so good... All the time.