Dear Pat Robertson,

As you well know, last Tuesday, thousands of Haitians were forced to reckon with what is likely the trial of their lives, an earthquake that decimated tens of thousands in a matter of seconds. All around the globe, acts and words of compassion have flowed like a river and will hopefully help restore and replenish what is left on this dusty isle.  But your words, Sir, do not seem to be compassionate or healing.

According to stories I have read, you have accused the Haitian people of bringing this disaster on themselves by “making a pact with the devil.”  Since you claim to be such a Biblical scholar, I know you are familiar with the words of Ecclesiastes 3. In this poignant chapter, God points out that there is a time for everything. There is a “time to weep and a time to laugh.” There is a “time to love and a time to hate.” “There is a time to be a silent and a time to speak.” Given that is a time to weep for Haitians, would it not be the time for us as Christians (or ones who profess to know Jesus Christ) to speak words of love and if we have none, to keep silent?

As a Christian, I do believe that our actions have consquences, but as we Christians also know that Jesus “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.” (Matthew  5:45) But no where in that verse does God say that we human beings can determine who God believes is good and evil or righteous or unrighteous. But apparently, Sir, you have been afforded the unique ability to connect some supposed pact with the devil made hundreds of years ago to what happened last Tuesday. I wonder if you have read Matthew 7 in a while. In its opening verse, we are cautioned not to judge others and that what we use to judges others will be used to judge us.  Because of that verse, I know I cannot judge you. But I do ask to that you look at verses 21-22. According to those verses, everyone that says “Lord, Lord” and professes to speak on His behalf and prophesy in His name does not necessarily know the Lord.

Finally, I want to point out Luke 14 to you. In this chapter, the religious leaders of the day, named Pharisees, asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. In fact, they brought a sick man before him. We Christians know that Jesus in His lovingkindness commands us to rest on the Sabbath to replenish ourselves after six days of work. And so the Pharisees who were known to love the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law expected Jesus to say that not even healing could be done on the Sabbath. Jesus did not even respond in words then. Instead, he healed the man and sent him on his way. And then he spoke. “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” The Pharisees did not have anything to say.

Pact with the devil or not Pat, I wonder if you had family members who lived in Haiti, would you have uttered those words. Somehow, I doubt it…Again, I don’t want to judge you as that is not my right, but I do hope that you consider the words of the Bible as you speak in the future. And let us not forget that while we are not commanded to judge, we are commanded to pray. Let’s pray for the Haitians and help in their healing.

Sincerely-

Jacqueline J. Holness