Pray for Haiti

Our neighbor Haiti is in terrible trouble. The country only just "made it through" severe food shortages and four hurricanes in 2008. Now after this earthquake, aid efforts are being sorted out. Local donation drop offs have been designated. Accounts for donations have been set up. At this point, the men and women of Haiti are digging themselves out. They will hold on until more aid arrives. They are a strong people.

In many ways, Miami is more a part of the Caribbean than we are a part of the United States. Most of the US thinks Miami is only related to Cuba but this is wrong. Besides the many folks from other areas of our southern region, our large population of Haitian Americans is proud, productive and an essential part of our community.  Miami is often called the Capital of the Caribbean and South America. But at the very least, each of these countries relate like family members, similar to cousins.

The agencies that are best at rescue and relief are even now arriving on the scene. There will be much to do and the rebuilding will take years. We, as brothers and sisters in Christ, must pray on their behalf. We must listen to our friends as they grieve. We must give of ourselves to hold up our suffering family.

Epiphany! The Celebration of Giving our Gifts to the Christ

Christmas so be so obstructed in our society. The obvious complaint is the commercialism as Christmas items appear on stores shelves the day after Halloween. But This time of year, in Miami anyway, the culprit is entertainment. On the 7th day of Christmas we instead get to watch a giant orange being lowered at Bayfront park downtown. On the 10th day of Christmas, there is a NFL game with play off implications. On the 12th day of Christmas, it's the Orange Bowl College game.

The one thing we have to bring us back to celebrating Christ is Epiphany. Epiphany is the celebration of the day the three kings of the East found and honored the child with their gifts. And for added measure, they went away changed. Many Latin countries celebrate Dia de Los Reyes as a day when children receive small gifts in their shoes left at the bottom of their beds. In Miami, Little Havana will host its annual Three Kings Parade. This year the parade will be held Jan. 8 and of course feature live music.

Whether football or parade or falling oranges, we must remember, we are in this world but not of this world. We look for the presence of God and find it, in the least likely places, in the least likely towns, in remote corners of the world. We bring our gifts to honor the Christ. Emmanuel. God with us.
Amen.