I go to bed with something on my mind just about every night.

But the other night, I went to bed thinking of something that was the furthest thing from my mind earlier that day.

My thoughts were toward the people of Haiti, those who survived the devastating earthquake in 2010 and those that didn’t. I thought of them because I attended a film screening showing how the Haitian people were faring since this tragedy.

It was very moving.

What I loved most about this film was that it wasn’t about suffering, devastation or self-pity. Instead, it showed a people with a genuine sense of hope despite the fact that they’d lost everything in a 35-second destructive quake.

Then there were the images of Haiti itself. They were unlike what I’ve seen on TV or the news, where it often looks like a dump yard full of stranded black people. Rather, it was clean, even amidst the rubble. The people were clean and they yearned to work again to support themselves.

Just Like Job

Cathedral Quarter is one of the most symbolic places in the history of Haiti. In fact, the city was founded in that neighborhood in 1749. The location of the Cathedral is also the part of Haiti that was most devastated. After the quake, only the Cathedral’s ruins remain. Even now, many Haitians still return there, clasping the cast iron gate that partially surrounds the Cathedral. The Haitians consider those ruins to represent something above and beyond who they are. They are still hoping and praying to God, trusting in a higher being.

Then, enter into the film the story of Job from the bible, the man who lost everything but never once cursed God.

His story compares to the Haitians losing everything except for their faith in God. Like Job they refuse to abandon their spirituality or blame God for their misfortune.

Reflecting

It’s funny how people miles away from where I live can invade my mind with their personal stories of perseverance.

I’ve only seen the effects of the earthquake there, yet, the story of the Haitian people is touching and moving.

And I’m glad their story is on my mind.