Earthquake in Haiti - Why does bad often happen to the poor?

You would no doubt have heard about the earthquake in Haiti by now – it happened earlier today and already thousands of online news sources have been reporting it.  None more graphic than the pictures on the BBC News website – with up to date information on Wikipedia.  I was particularly shocked seeing the photos of the Presidential Palace in ruins in Haiti. 

A few years ago (2006) I was in Haiti for a church trip.  I was able to preach a couple of times in a mountain town called Lascahobas which although only a short distance from Port Au Prince actually takes about half a day to travel there due to the terrible condition of the roads.  (that is not exaggerating)  I hope all the people I met there in 2006 are ok. 

I’ve noticed over the course of my life, that large tragedies like the one that just happened in Haiti often seem to occur in poor nations.  For example the Floods in Bangladesh in 2007 that displaced 5 million people.  Or the Tsunami in 2004 that hit many parts of Asia including India.  Or the current drought in Ethiopia effecting 23 million people – with millions that may die due to a lack of food and water. 

Its not that disasters don’t happen in other places too – like Innisfail in Australia, but they often don’t have high death tolls and wealthy people recover quicker.  There is always less sickness, less death and less longlasting effects in wealthier nations.  For the poor it may mean that they die, or never recover what they had.  I guess that’s why on the rare occasions when big disasters do take life in wealthy nations we are so shocked – like Hurricane Katrina or September 11.  But when big disasters happen elsewhere no-one hardly seems to care. 

So why does bad seem to happen more often to the poor than it does to wealthier nations?  Some people would say that it is because of the money itself.  Wealthy people build stronger houses, have better hospitals, have insurance policies, have better infrastructure, better national security and the list goes on.  Whilst this is true – this is an effect not a cause.  To my question, I believe I have an answer. 

A few months ago I was reading a website listing all the “terrible” things that they predicted were going to happen to America.  The stock market was going to crash and not recover properly.  Business were going to fail all over and unemployment was going to skyrocket.  In addition there were going to be earthquakes and untold natural disasters and so the list went on. 

America bashing (click here for example) has become very common in todays Christian circles.  In fact there are lots of people who don’t like America for a variety of reasons.  Whilst America is not perfect (who is), I think that God has been very gracious to America and other similar nations for one very good important reason.  I believe that his grace will continue in many ways for years to come. 

As I read the website describing the calamity that was supposedly hanging over America’s head, I believe I heard the Lord speak and I realised why these things don’t happen, and aren’t happening and most likely won’t happen in America and other similar places.  The reason is because of all the Aid money that these nations give all over the world. 

Let me explain.  Whenever there is a need anywhere in the world, like the earthquakes we are seeing now in Haiti – America, Canada, Australia, England and many other nations start giving money to help the poor, feed the homeless, they start taking refugees and send doctors, erect temporary hospitals and on the list goes. 

In the 2004 Asian Tsunami - Australia pledged $1,000,000,000.00 (1 billion) dollars towards the recovery for nations like Indonesia and Thailand.  This was a large percentage of the Australian Annual Budget and in addition, Australia regularly budgets to give to the poor, and needy causes all around the world annually. 

When Australia, the USA and other nations were founded, they began with Christian principles, such as supporting the poor, the orphans, widows and the like.  Although these nations are fundamentally secular now – many of these same principles of giving and helping remain – and they bring the blessing of God. 

We teach people in church to tithe.  Give and it will be given back to you, (Matt 7) We say that when you help the poor you are lending to the Lord who will repay you back more than you gave many times over.  It is a spiritual principle that when you do what God asks you will have His blessing.  We have all heard about “non-believers” who tithe because of selfish motivations – they want the blessings even if they don’t want to attend church. 

These principles apply at a national level too – in a kind of corporate way.  My theory and belief is that nations like Australia and the USA are wealthy and blessed because they help others – it is God’s blessing.  And part of this blessing is evident in a reduced number of natural disasters.  However other nations never give – but always have the hand out receiving – they are poor.  They are not poor because of their lack of money.  They are poor because they do not give.  And the blessing of the Lord is not with them in the same kind of way. 

The Lord God loves every human being regardless of their colour, size or how much money they have in their bank account.  However his principles apply evenly to all people too.  When people walk within His principles, even unknowingly, it brings a blessings or protection of sorts.  And when people ignore His principles (maybe because of ignorance) the blessing is absent. 

I guess that is why the Bible says that people “perish because of lack of knowledge.”  That is why I’ve always said that knowledge is wealth.