Ear Full of Pumpkin: Bump Day on the Four Month Anniversary

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Bump Day on the Four Month Anniversary

I've always hated that term, "hump day." It's always struck me as oddly vulgar. Just like my Mother can't stand (and refuses to shop at) Kum-N-Go. She's always like, "They couldn't add one more letter... it wouldn't have cost them that much more to make it 'Come'." I secretly agree with her, though the convenience factor of having a Kum-N-Go on every corner in their town, often outweighs how I might feel about the word... allowing me to justify breaking my solidarity-boycott, for the ease of a quick cup of coffee on the way out of town.

Brett is now, over the bump. He's on the home stretch... and tomorrow evening, he begins his journey home. First, to Port-a-Prince, then Miami, and eventually, KCMO. I thought I might share some photos. None of these are from Brett's camera... those will come later... but these come from a new blog, written by a young man from Canada (a friend of Brett's), called Marathon for Haiti.

I look forward to posting pictures showing progress... laughter, joy, dancing. I trust it is there... because the human spirit is shockingly resilient. But I think for now, it is important for us to remember the destruction, the devastation, the immense grief that blankets this area. Greater destruction than you and I will probably... prayerfully... ever know. Greater than Oklahoma, 9/11, or Katrina.... not because of the sheer numbers of lives lost or the magnitude of destruction, but because of the system... the system of abject poverty that was present before the quake, and will continue to be there, long after relief agencies have gathered their shoulder bags and headed back to London and Quebec and Lyon and Kansas City. Unless, you and I, and those who know no such systems of bondage, find a voice and an urging within our hearts, to empower change... seeded, root change. Not a band-aid....