Pastorgraphs: “Blessed Assurance”
Today
marks the fifth anniversary of the Haitian earthquake, one of the
most devastating disasters of all time. An estimated 220,000 people
died and another quarter million homes were destroyed in one
frightening moment.
Last
night, I was honored to speak to our Haitian congregation. As
ministers are prone to do, I took a quick head count, and lost count
at 60. That was partly due to a dozen or more children, all not born
five years ago, moving about as precious children do.
Jean
Elize Durandisse, lay pastor, and I met earlier this week to plan the
service, which included Holy Communion. He asked that I retell the
story of how the Haitian Methodist Ministry of San Diego came about
for the benefit of many new members of his congregation. I also shared
the “2020 Vision”, asking them to plan their own BIG dream for where
they hope to be in another five years.
It
was on March 6, 2009, almost a year before the earthquake, that I met
a group of about 20 young Haitian adults who came to San Diego,
fleeing oppression and corruption in their homeland. They had received
death threats from the gangs who were enlisting Haitian youth into
their web of violence, drugs and prostitution. Most of them were
members of a Gospel music group, Louange a Dieu (LAD) which roughly
translates from Creole “Praise to God”. They were being effective in
sharing God’s love that led many Haitian youth into a life of faith in
God and away from gangs. (See the picture: “My Children” left to right, Patrick, Micheline, Jean Elize, me, Yrise, Antoine, and in back Michel.)
It
did not take long to discover LAD is very talented. Their unique
blend of Gospel music with Caribbean harmonization is appealing. My
favorite song is “Blessed Assurance”. I’ve asked them to sing it at my
funeral, when and if they are able. That is because Fanny J. Crosby, a
blind hymn writer, wrote in the lyrics:
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
What
better thing could be said at the end of life than a person’s story
and song was praising our Lord all the day long. For me, that
“foretaste of glory divine” allows me to live in “blessed assurance”.
You
see, it all intersects with my “children”, the Haitians I met almost
six years ago. When they call me their father or dad, they mean it.
Many of them lost their fathers long ago, some in the earthquake. And
when I call them my children, I mean it too.
I
recall that on March 6, 2009, I was quite weak from cancer surgery
and 35 bouts of radiation treatments. When I got the call that a group
of Haitians wanted to meet with me, I almost declined. I was saving
my energy to attend the Russian Methodist convocation that same night.
But since I had to pass the church on the way to Mission Valley, I
agreed.
This
is my story; this is my song. God came to me in the form of some
strangers (immigrants), and I did not turn them away. I welcomed them
into my church, my home, and my heart. Nothing will ever be the same.
“Oh, what a foretaste of glory, divine!”
The
Haitians have grown personally, numerically and spiritually. All of the
original group have learned to speak English, received training for
essential jobs (working in hospitals and nursing homes), are
self-supporting, tax-paying members of our community. Most importantly
they are helping others. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) said
we helped them serve over 300 Haitian refugees who came to San Diego. A
few weeks ago, the Haitian Methodist Ministry prepared a hundred food
boxes for the homeless and hungry people living on San Diego’s streets.
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love,
Bill Jenkins
From The Quote Garden:
“Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.”
~ Fanny J. Crosby, “Blessed Assurance” (1873)
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