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The U.S. has been a big giver throughout it’s own history, from the aid given to the Panamanians, to the tons of goods shipped daily to many of the peoples of South East Asia, and also to the food shipped to many countries all over Africa. We’re just trying to help out is all. But, what happens when people complain about the help given to them?

In 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti almost 300,000 people had died and far many more made homeless from the ensuing chaos. Soon after, countries from around the world pledged billions of dollars of aid to Haiti in order to help them rebuild as fast as possible. The UN wiped out millions in Haitian debt, and even went as far as to allow Haitians because of the huge loss of homes as a result of the Earthquake.

However, news stations from around the world started to spread information undermining the way the United States was giving out aid in Haiti. They made it seem as though the United States was militarizing the region and was especially militaristic in their aid. As PJ Crowley, US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs,

stated, “News outlets falsely compared military activities at the airport to a little Green Zone,” comparing this to the United States controlled Green Zone in occupied Iraq.

As if the sticks and stones weren’t enough, Christian missionaries from Idaho that were attempting to deliver children from Haiti to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic were also hit with kidnapping charges from the local government. Haitian police stopped the ten missionaries on January 29, 2010, as they tried to take thirty-three Haitian children across the border to the Dominican Republic. They claimed to be trying to get the children to a safe place, since many of them had lost their parents from the earthquake. Was this the best idea? Probably not, but, should the Haitian government really treat this as huge an issue as it has? Thankfully, nine of the ten missionaries have been acquitted and one still stands trial, the leader of the group, who is likely to be acquitted.

As Luke 6: 34-36 says, “(34) And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. (35) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Basically, we are called to love our enemies and continue to help them and give to them no matter what. The people in Haiti are truly feeling pain like none other, so is it really appropriate to bring politics into the realm of aid? We must continue our aid to Haiti and simply ignore what other people say, and other countries will follow in stride. We can only do this and spread the hope that we bring these people with the love of God.