As much of our prayers and attention are being directed towards the suffering and tragedy in Haiti, this might be a fitting time  to focus more clearly on God’s heart and purposes for that nation.

I personally don’t believe God is judging Haiti.  There will be a judgment for the nations at some point in the future, but for now Jesus tells us “the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son:” (John 5:22), and John further assures us that “God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world.” (John 3:17)  All that destruction in Old Testament times was something very different from the New Covenant, when “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself and no longer counting people’s sins against them.” (2 Cor. 5:18)   What happened in Haiti was not about their sin, (after all, we are still standing), but the result of a world convulsed by the sin of our first parents.

And that’s what these missing pieces are about:  Jesus Christ entered the world to undo the effects of sin, and to restore the universe to it’s original purpose.   Even though that process will not be finished until He returns, the cornerstone was laid at the cross, and the work commenced at His resurrection.

Consider Ephesians 4:10:

Forgiveness on a personal level is just one glorious aspect of the Gospel.   The “gospel of forgiveness” really IS great news because it means the sin issue is finished and we are forgiven.  Hallelujah!

But the same one who procured our forgiveness boldly proclaimed “the gospel of the Kingdom,” which is about Him filling all things.  This is good news for Haiti because even though the partial gospel of forgiveness has been embraced by many, the absence of the rest of the Gospel which lifts up the poor, transforms government, and celebrates justice and right relationships has kept the Haitian people enslaved to poverty, oppression and corrupt leaders.

The great Dutch theologian and statesman, Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not one square inch of the entire creation about which Jesus Christ does not cry out, ‘This is mine! This belongs to me!'” And if it belongs to Jesus, it will be glorious.  That’s where we’re headed with this talk of missing pieces.