Letter of the Day | Rebuilding lives before sanctuaries

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Janet Silvera’s October 26 report on the United Church’s recovery work after Hurricane Melissa deserves attention far beyond Jamaica. Reverend Norbert Stephens’ insistence on rebuilding lives before sanctuaries captures something essential about Christian service.

A repaired church roof matters. But so does the roof over a family’s bed, the equipment a farmer needs to work again, and the dignity of earning a living after a disaster. The Church cannot call people its neighbours on Sunday and regard their practical survival as somebody else’s concern on Monday.

Jesus’ account of the Good Samaritan makes the same point without demanding a grand speech. Compassion becomes credible when it interrupts our plans and meets a real need. The Samaritan did not merely express concern. He stopped and helped.

What struck me most in your reporting was the United Church’s effort to help small farmers regain the means to support their families. That is not simply relief. It is respect. People affected by catastrophe deserve more than to be remembered at anniversaries; they deserve a genuine part in shaping their recovery.

I write as an American Christian author, not as someone who can speak for Jamaica. Still, the principle crosses borders: faith communities are most persuasive when their neighbours can see love put to work, whether or not a church building has been restored.

The first anniversary of Melissa ought to renew attention not only to what was damaged, but also to who still needs a hand.

Douglas B. Vandergraph

Fort Collins, Colorado

United States