Hotel Jaugara

I am currently in Hotel Jaugara in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In a day or two I may be going to Haiti if it is God's will. How does one hear God's voice? Are seemly odd coincidences actually coincidences?

Saturday night, February 6th I finished reading the novel, "Resurrection", by Leo Tolstoy. I picked this book up in New York City on December 16th. I was in the City. It was below 20 degrees and I was dressed in a short sleeve shirt and a light blazer. I had finished a book I had brought due to an unexpected layover in Seattle on my way out. As frequently is the case, I went to the book store without an idea as to what to buy. I decided (as is frequently the case) to purchase a book that is written by an author I know is good. Tolstoy is definitely better than good. Therefore I began reading "Resurrection" (in bits and pieces), finishing it two days ago.

For Christmas I had put the Christian writer N.T. Wright on my wish list as several in my Friday morning breakfast group at Hubcaps have commented that they liked his writing. Emily and Jim, (my daughter and son-in-law) therefore gave me N.T. Wright's book "Surprised by Hope". Thus I came back from Christmas with two books. Last Saturday night I finished "Resurrection" then woke up at 4:00 a.m., went to SFO and jumped on a 6:40 a.m. flight for the Dominican Republic. I begin reading "Surprised by Hope." On reading the first several chapters I find that the main subject of the books is "Resurrection."

In Tolstoy's novel, the protagonist, Nehkludof, reexamines his life and then seeks to redress pass sins. In this process he gets involved with the downtrodden and persecuted. He is drawn to those who continue to go good in spite of their situation. Through this process he begins recalling Jesus' actions and words. These actions and words, which to Nehkludof had not been meaningful in the past, start to become crystal clear. They provide the direction and path that, if followed, one can be resurrected in the here and now.

I am now three chapters into "Surprised by Hope." N.T. Wright is outlining his argument that the modern church has lost the true meaning of "resurrection." He is arguing that Jesus' resurrected body was the first act of the resurrection and that our resurrection will be similar. He may be arguing that like Nehkludof, that one's resurrection can begin in the here and now and will become fulfilled following the death of their body.

I think of the Haitians at the other end of this tropical island. Is a resurrection in their future? Tonight I was invited to attend a meeting of the Dominican Republic Earthquake Engineering Society. We discussed the tremendous problems that the Haitians have in front of them. They told me that Haiti is a "psuedo" country. About three years ago the United Nations deployed a piece keeping force in the country to quell the tremendous violence that had been happening there. This peacekeeping force has stripped the Haitian government of real power. In the aftermath of the earthquake, a powerful organization needs to take charge. The Haitian government is neither powerful nor organized. God is all powerful. One of God's powerful tools is the church - the body of believers. I am listening for God. How can I assist in the resurrection of Haiti?

Seeking to Serve

Craig