I am told that there is no more emotionally damaging natural disaster to live through than an earthquake, namely because they come suddenly, and cannot be escaped. Tornadoes come without a lot of warning, but there’s usually a siren, a shelter, and a way to be safe. Floods usually come after predicted storms and lots of rainfall. Higher ground can be sought and there’s usually time to evacuate.

Not with earthquakes. Immediately, without warning, the ground shakes. There’s no escape route, no shelter, no way to outrun the ground beneath you shaking. There is no solid ground to stand upon.

The human heart cannot stand not having a place to stand.

The aftermath is great on the surface. Lives lost, cities leveled. But at the end of the day, it’s the wreckage of the heart that does the most permanent damage. Having your solid ground fall apart will leave your soul in rubble.

So what is the proper response to the devastation so many have faced?

I believe it is providing something strong for the people of Haiti to stand on. Something they can believe in. And that won’t come through platitudes, sermons, and it probably won’t come through Pat Robertson.

But it will come when they see faith played out through work. Jesus said that the Church is His rock. It is the solid ground that every heart longs for. And we have a chance to step up and deliver that Rock to a hurting people today.

When the people sitting in rubble begin to see that the faith of the Church is accompanied by action, work, & donation, it won’t just rebuild their country, it will rebuild their heart.

Consider how you might put your faith into action today, and give these people and the world something to stand on.