On January 12 of this year, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. More than 200 thousand people died in the quake and over 1 million were left homeless. The Inter-American Bank estimates that it will take at least 10 years and some $14 billion to rebuild just the capital city of Port au Prince.

At the time I expressed some concern about people focusing too much on Haiti and neglecting other ministries. Lately, however, I’ve come to have a new concern. Apparently people have lost all perspective on this tragedy.

A few weeks ago, a preacher sent a message to a Yahoo group where he expressed his concern that people had paid more attention to the Haiti disaster than they had the Nashville flood. As he complained about the lack of attention, this man wrote, “Is it because the people in Nashville predominantly are not the right color (66.99% white)? Is it because the church is very strong in Nashville, too, and the media as a rule hates the church and those who profess Jesus as their Savior?”

Then last week another Christian leader posted this on Facebook: “So where are allthe “Save the Gulf” concerts? Where are the T.V. benefits withcelebrities and musicians giving heart felt speeches on the poorfishermen, wildlife, beaches, loss of income and sabotaged gulfeconomy? I find it rather strange how these people (including our owngovernment) are so quick to help Haiti and other countries, but sit ontheir tushy for this one! Post if you agree.”

Let me beg each and every one of you: please don’t embarrass yourself! Feel free to say that Nashville deserves more attention. Express concern about the lack of love being shown the Gulf following the BP spill. But please don’t compare these disasters to what happened in Haiti. Definitely do not claim that giving extra attention to Haiti represents racism and/or religious discrimination.

And please, please, please, if you are a Christian, don’t play the “we should help our own country first” card. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10) No, it doesn’t say “especially those from the same country we are.”

The Haiti disaster was something on the scale we can’t even imagine in most developed countries. For any disaster to compare, it would need to leave an entire country in ruins for years. If that’s not the case, please don’t embarrass yourself, or the rest of us, by making a feeble comparison.