The tragedy in Haiti gives American's an unprecedented opportunity to consider our approach to renewing a nation. Right now, thousands of self-denying, heroic American men and women are working around the clock to help the battered and suffering people of this sad island. Untold thousands more have given money and in-kind gifts to relieve the suffering.

In due course the rubble will be cleared and the rebuilding will begin. And, count on it, because that's the kind of people we are, Americans will continue to pour in help and cash to get this nation back on its feet. Ultimately, Haiti will be rebuilt, the infrastructure will be back functioning, and people will start working and living normal Haitian lives once again.

Then what?

Then what is that Haiti will still be Haiti, lacking the resources, experience, leadership, will, and worldview to be anything other than Haiti. Making Haiti something other than Haiti will take more than money and sweat thrown at specific problems. This is a worldview issue, and, as far as I can tell, the Haitian government and people do not have the worldview to be anything other than Haitians.

But before we get too critical and cynical, look to ourselves. Right now we are throwing cash and sweat at a broken economy in the foolish belief that more money and jobs will fix what ails us. When this economy is back on its feet again, Americans will still be Americans - all our social institutions pervaded by corruption and decay, our culture in moral free fall, our schools getting worse, and we more self-centered and narcissistic than ever. Yes, we rise to the occasion when another nation is in trouble, but we do not have the worldview to repair the moral and spiritual infrastructure of our own country.

Meanwhile, the churches - which know better, or should - are so preoccupied with their own interests and concerns that seeking lost neighbors is way down on the list of things to do. We need revival, but aren't willing to pray and plead with God to send it. We need the Gospel of the Kingdom, but we have become comfortable with a gospel of forgiveness-and-going-to-heaven. We need to make disciples, but it's so much easier just to run programs and teach classes.

In other words, America and her churches are Haiti, only on a larger scale.

T. M. Moore