(3) He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or...by what his ears hear,

(4) but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth....

(9) They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

~ Isaiah 11

The Messiah is often referred to as a rod, a branch, or a shoot. This is in keeping with the analogy of lineage being a tree and a lot of verses are given to describing Jesus' lineage. But these words also signify something small, tender, and easily broken off that over time grows to be mighty and strong. Isaiah 11 promises a time of peace and justice brought by the Messiah, sprouting from a stump (the embattled house of David) and growing into a righteous, equitable ruler.

I'm greeted with skepticism at times from people who don't understand why they should donate to a small nonprofit that serves Haiti. In essence, they ask, "Who cares about Haiti?" It's certainly an individual's right to not care about Haiti or to prioritize another cause over this one. My job is to remind you that Haiti is worth serving, that a small village on a mountaintop isn't invisible to God. That because a community isn't as polished as we are doesn't make them brutes. In fact, they are hardworking, kind, funny, and have aspirations different from ours but no less real. They want to live their lives communally and productively. 

One morning, years ago, as we watched parents and older siblings walk the youngest to school in Port-au-Prince, a friend of mine said, "There's a lot that's wrong with Haiti but there's a lot that's right, too." It's been more than a decade since I heard that statement and it's still true today.

Don't judge Piton by the chaos enveloping the rest of the country. Pray that this holy mountain is judged with righteousness and equity, and that it and all of Haiti are covered by the knowledge of the Lord. 

Thank you for being here,