Proud to be an American?.... ummmm….. No.

A view from an American in Haiti.

Before you pick up a few rocks to throw them, I should share a few things first. I am a first generation American. I love my country. While I did not serve in the military, I was a cop for 10 years. I have been beat up, chased, and have seen more than one firearm barrel in my face with an intent to kill me. I live with the images of the dead I have seen… especially the children. So… fire away at my at me if you will, I am sure I deserve it.

I recently posted something on FBook about not being proud of our country. I drew flack with my view. I have waited a few days to reply because my first response was anger. Then I realized heck… I would have felt the same thing if the dirt of Haiti was not between my toes. The essence of this place cannot be seen in a video or in a photo. It cannot be told on the best storyboard.

That said, I have experienced this and am now responsible. I would be less than a follower of Christ if I did not shout out and take actions for the widows, the orphans, and the needy that I have witnessed so close to a country that is so rich. I am not called to love and care for those in America. I don’t read in scripture to love those that were lucky enough like me to be born in such a great nation. I am convinced that our Creator loves each person here that has so little hope as much as He loves my two children. How can I be proud of my amazingly great nation for what we have done here after what I have witnessed? How can I be a follower of Christ when the Gospel is littered with caring for those that are in need?

As a 20th century believer its so easy for me to look at adult couples living together and ask “how the heck can they call themselves believers and do that?”… Yet as I read the Gospel the times Christ talked about caring for the needy -vs- a guy who had 10 wives…. Well you do the math. I am not advocating multiple wives or sexual sin. I am simply convicted to try and read the Gospel as written and for Christ to break my heart for the things that breaks His. To try and take off my training as a “Christian” and try read His word as a follower of Christ.

I am… broken.

So, here is my reply to those who are not happy with me… and that’s ok, cause I ain’t happy with me either.

I have not met one American who has seen how people are living here that is remotely proud of our country and our response as a whole. How our great nation has responded to a people that on a very basic humanitarian level. While I am completely aware that this statement is disturbing to some, my greater responsibility is to share what I see. To be angry as I feel Christ would be angry. I think in 100 years the followers of Christ will look at the Christians today and scratch there head and ask… “How could they call themselves Christians and not do more with all they had?”

What else I see is a nation proclaiming to be followers of Christ that has accepted a roll of sympathy to a land that is less than 1,000 miles away from the Florida coast. IMHO, we have become perfectly content with feeling sympathy for a people that we are afraid to empathy for. Feeling empathy would require our nation to take action. Not the kind of action we see on CNN.  Real action. Take action for the million children living in floating feces as the rains came down when I posted a statement on FB in anger. Yes, I am angry.

The pessimistic person in me feels if there were an unlimited amount of oil under this land… it would be a lot easier for us to be empathetic.

I challenge my friends to take action that would allow you to empathize with the people Jesus has called us to serve vs. merely sympathizing with them.

What would it take for us to really know the pain of people for whom we show sympathy towards?

Added: If I wrecked my car, I would not be proud of myself. In the same sense, I am not proud of our country and what we have done here. One of my tasks here is to drive. I have driven most of PauP in my time here. I have seen HUNDREDS of homes being built by World Vision... but have yet to see ANYTHING done by the Bush/Clinton fund. ZERO.  I am sure somewhere they are doing some good.. regardless how do you allow this with money in the bank for a year?

With a million children living in muddy tents over a year later, the BCFund still has over 40 Million dollars for "relief efforts" that clearly is not reliving anything. While this is a complex problem... getting kids from living in their own filth is not rocket science.