The category 7 tragedy of Haiti has delivered continued after shocks as we witness the spiraling, wrenching human pain.

I have  mentally stepped aside from the gruesome, helpless scenes to  think about the last few days.

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Listening to my Haitian colleagues through tear-stained   sharing have given me an up close tearing at the heart of the enormity of the loss.

Hearing from one’s relative is comforting, but losing your place of abode steals one’s sense of roots and home.

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A set of questions have formulated in my mind to help me put context to this horror.

We live in a world of  instant communication, but it takes finite time to put in place a working logistics to relieve the seemingly unending  suffering. How do I guide my heart to the reality of this reality?

How do I explain the devastation and the seemingly arbitrariness of pain given my belief in a loving God?

When your house became the tomb of a family member, how does one find a renewed meaning in HOME?

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• Texting support is so simple.  Do I need a more tangible means of get a sense of supporting the cause?
• Recounting the history of Haiti is healthy , but how can we leverage the information garnered instead of a Babylon blaming tirade?
• How do I prepare for a long range support after the cameras have turned to other issues?

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• The Haitians friends here will need our continued support.  How do we organize to have an effective ministry to them?
• How can we stay informed on the development in Haiti and not getting a numbing dose of despair from the TV coverage ?
• There are earthquake fault lines that can affect the Caribbean plate.  How do we prepare for additional shaking given our limited resources . Can we develop a pooling security blanket for the Caribbean?

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Lots to think about.  But let us remember the power of hope.

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We did not dare to breathe a prayer,

Or give our anguish scope

Something was dead within each of us.

And what was dead was Hope.

Oscar Wilde