It's said that at the right temperatures, geologic faults allow movement and flow. When temperatures are wrong, earthquakes express themselves. Similarly, when communities become too rigid, fault lines appear and earthquakes occur. The fault lines in Haiti are real and earthquakes seemingly continue to occur.
Today, we traveled deep along some of those fault lines.
Cite Soleil is like nothing any of us have seen before. A city of metal tin roof dwellings that line streets filled with half, fully and unclothed children, the place is a paradox of the vitality of youth amidst the sorrow of age. To say life is not easy here is less than an understatement. No sanitation. No services. No water. Yet still life, only life that's clearly not running over, cups overflowing. More like life that's simply...survival.
We traveled into the Cite Soleil.
Our mission was to bring water.
We brought so much more.
We brought love.
A love where naked toddlers, who raised their hands to the sky just wanting to get picked up and held, found team members like Chloe, and Phil, and Becky, and Vicky. Where plastic buckets filled to the brim got carried down sewage lined streets, sloshing water all the while, by John, and Ozzie, and Chris, and Sandy. Where the universal language of smile and laughter through Amy, and Brooke, and Ray, and Leyla crossed barriers and shared our humanity together. Where hands were held, faces were washed, touch was given by Sonia, and Annie, and Chiriya. A love that moved from intention to activity, between hard work and having fun.
Today, I will readily admit that I saw people who I didn't know existed. And I have no doubt they saw people who they didn't know existed either. And in seeing these people...really seeing them, touching them, feeling them, loving them...I was forever changed. For today I was reminded that we're made to love one another with a special kind of love. A communal kind of love. A love that can supersede rigid fault lines of race or creed or nationality. A love that is a practical love. A love that comes directly from the heart of God to his people. All his people, no matter who they are or where they live.
An agape love.
LOVE | LIVE | GIVE
Love Audaciously
Live In It
Give Unsparingly
Bret Magpiong
