The United Methodist Church of Somers Point

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100119/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1063

The above link is a news report about a Royal Caribean Cruise Ship that stopped in Haiti for the passengers to enjoy beautiful Haitian beaches even though the site is not far from the destruction of the recent hurricane.  Many passengers are upset at the decision to include the stop on the vacation given the circumstances further inland.  The company defends itself by saying that now, more than ever, it is important to provide the much needed economic boost to the markets where passengers shop in Haiti.

It is interesting that earthquake or no earthquake Haiti has long been a place in extreme poverty and destruction.  I wonder if people don't like vacationing so close to devastation because they feel guilty about not helping.  There they are, so close to people in need, but they are there to enjoy themselves.  Perhaps it is a great picture of how most of us live most of the time.  We seek to pleasure ourselves the the fine things in life while we know there are people suffering.  That should cause us some discomfort--Inland a few miles, Jesus is trapped beneath rubble, hungry, thirsty and we are trying to enjoy a few moments on the beach--and we ask, when was it the case that Jesus was trapped, hungry, and thirsty, and we did nothing, and he will answer--when you the least of these my brothers and sisters were trapped, hungry, and thirsty, and you simply enjoyed yourself--you did it to me.

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