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For a quarter of a century I’ve heard pastors, conference speakers, and authors work to unpack the implications of Jesus’s famous “Prodigal Son” parable. Some have suggested that the story would be more accurately referred to as a parable about prodigal “sons” because, in a manner of speaking, both children of the father’s children were “prodigals”.  One left home with his feet, the other with his heart.  One of the keys in understanding parables is recognizing that these aren’t necessarily stories that happened but rather stories that happen. Additionally, parables are more like a piece of art from which many valid interpretations can be derived than a math problem for which there is generally only one “right answer.” Parables often defy historical or cultural context because they highlight realities that lie at the heart of what it means to be human.  While there were many Jewish rabbis who utilized parables as a method for teaching universal truths about God, humanity, and the...

Longing. I long for Haiti.  I long for the place I have come to call my second home. I long for my eyes to see the faces of those I’ve grown to love and for my ears to hear the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the Port-au-Prince’s streets.  I long for my heart to feel whole again.  This is where I am today. But this is not where I was 12 years ago when my relationship with Haiti began. I went to a place I had no attachment to, no desire for, and no knowledge of. I went there because I couldn’t not go.  Believe me, I tried to say no. But God had other plans.  Once I realized the Lord was clearly directing me to Haiti, I began to long for a rewind:  Lord, would you please just erase whatever You’re doing to draw me there? Would You please undo whatever it is You’re doing to my heart? It would be so much easier if I could live a life of no pull to enter the unknown – to just remain content in my comfortable life. I don’t like the unknown. I don’t like change. I don’t like it messy. ...

Looking back on my time in Haiti, it seems crazy how much has happened. I moved to Haiti in 2018, and I’ve been there through a handful of peyi loks (nationwide lockdowns), counteless protests, and several bouts of political and gang-related unrest. I’ve felt the heartbreak of watching friends-turned-family go through tremendous suffering, but I’ve also felt the joy of celebrating their triumphs.  I’ve been in the lowest of valleys in Haiti. But I’ve also reached the mountaintops–those sweet, often quiet, moments when the overwhelming contentment and joy almost made me forget the sweat and tears that got me there. Both the highs and lows have brought me to my knees in prayer more times than I can count. I’ve woken in the middle of the night with the urge to pray over a situation, scenario, or person on many occasions. Through it all, my prayer life has grown stronger… Or, at least I thought it did. In July 2022, as I listened to my friends describe the unspeakable violence a gang had...

“We are marching against violence, we are marching against kidnapping,”  “We want everyone to hear our voices…We need a solution to Haiti now.”   “This is God’s purpose, and God is going to make a move,” These are the pleas of a growing number of Haitians who are crying out for the world to wake-up and bear witness to what’s happening in their homeland.  According to the Haiti Health Network, these are the current realities facing Haiti:  562 Haitians die from hunger every day  53% annual inflation rate  10% of Port-au-Prince under government control  70% of Haitians that state they would support an international force to fight gangs  78 Haitian police officers killed in the first three months of 2023  Last Sunday, across the U.S., Haitians and Haitian-Americans took to the streets to raise awareness and advocate for intervention amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti.  And while the legacy of foreign intervention in Haiti is riddled with exploitation and heartbreak, the...