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Dear friends,
In the wake of my trips to Haiti in January and February, some have asked me what has changed—if anything—in that country since the earthquake. As of March 2011, over 90% of the rubble had yet to be touched. Sitting next to me on the flight on my last trip was an articulate Haitian accountant lamenting the fact that a multimillion dollar contract for rubble-removal had been signed with a company whose bid of $380./m3, had been selected over a competing offer of only one tenth as much! Obviously there was a bribe involved. Such is the eternal problem of human corruption which only the gospel can change. “Revolution changes everything, save for man’s heart”, as Victor Hugo lamented.
More encouraging was a recent email, feedback from one of the Haitian students who had been part of the group of 42 at the comparative worldviews course I taught the first week in February at the Baptist mission near Port-au-Prince:. Nicolas G. wrote, pleading with me to return to teach a different group of 35 other students he’s assembled in the Haitian capital: “Nous aimerions faire des progrès mais nous sommes vraiment limités… » (we would love to progress [in the understanding of the Scriptures] but we are really very limited…). Can one refuse such a Macedonian call (Acts 16:9)? So I’ll be returning to Port-au-Prince once a month starting April 30 with a course entitled “Introduction to the Old Testament.”
Admittedly, it’s most encouraging to learn that the teaching is well received. In France we’d done mostly individual evangelism and did not have much teaching experience until ten years ago when we first came to S. Florida and discovered how spiritually hungry and unschooled are most Haitian believers. That was the beginning of my association with Haitian pastor J. Petit of IBTF (the S. Florida Haitian Bible school) whose classes providentially served as a laboratory for me to develop some pedagogical skills. In addition, courses taught for 20-30 Haitians students four times/year in St. Martin have been useful towards that same end. I remain most indebted to a host of terrific Bible scholars with whom the U.S. has been blessed and whose work I continue to translate and transpose for the French-speaking world. Aline’s regular input is a precious aid in keeping me on track. When something’s not clear, she lets me know.
The biggest pedagogical challenge stems from the fact that the Antilleans and their African cousins are from oral cultures, so one has to adapt his teaching methods to that all-important reality. Though not inclined to reading, they probably retain more of what they hear than most Westerners. I suspect it may have been much the same with most of Jesus’ disciples?
Ironically, there’s a bit of cultural cleavage between the Haitians and Antilleans from other islands. Hence the recent formation of a second study-group in St. Martin comprised of some more educated folk who don’t feel comfortable with the Haitian group. Still, their spiritual hunger is the same.
Starting April 4, Aline and I began meeting with a few influential folks from the island, originally from Martinique and Guadeloupe—acquaintances of a dynamic sister (Marie-Ange, a retired administrator from Martinique) who herself has courageously started a ministry to aimless young children. These new students were educated in the French school system, a factor which alters the more African way of thinking of their Haitian ‘cousins’—a dose of Descartes added to a largely voodoo world view, if you can imagine. It’s a heck of a combination. The goal, as always, is to steer them to the Word whose systematic study remains the key for any lasting transformation. That’s why our suitcases are always full of French study-Bibles imported via Quebec and prohibitively expensive in the islands.
This most recent trip (April 2-9) was for a course in ethics which included a biblical view of the sanctity of life with regards to abortion, the death penalty, war, work, marriage and divorce. Several of these are of only minor concern to most Haitians—including abortion (rare in Haiti), war (Haiti has no army per se), and even divorce (comparatively rare amongst Haitians). However, a biblical consideration of the all-important cultural mandates of Christian marriage (wife-beating is, alas, quite common as with most Africans) and the sanctity of work (scorned by many) is especially necessary to correct some less than biblical conceptions and residual pagan cultural influence. On our last visit, a member of the church was speaking to Aline and identified a fellow parishioner along with his wife and concubine. “A member of the church has a mistress!” Aline exclaimed in shocked disbelief. “No, not a mistress, but a concubine…, you know, like David and Solomon…” It seems somehow like a course in biblical ethics is overdue.
In His service,
Marc
PRAISE : 1-Provision for continuation of program in SXM. Thanks to those who make it possible.
2-Noticeable spiritual growth in a couple of our immediate family members. 3-For the French film “Of Gods and Men,” depicting the Christian faith in a favorable light in a Moslem country.
PRAYER: 1-Weekly (Sunday) radio ministry with Haitian host L.J.. 2- Forthcoming Haiti teaching commitments. 3- Spiritual welfare of our children.
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