WHAT NEEDS
DRIVING OUT?
RETHINKING OUR VALUES TO PROTECT THE GOOD THAT GOD INSTILLS
Parishioner Caroline Baynard recently traveled with other members of the St. James’
Youth Group to visit St. Vincent’s Centre for Handicapped Children in Haiti.
This year I had the privilege of
This trip instilled in me a with ease; who walk around a
returning to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, greater sense of compassion and large, unfamiliar property blind
to visit the St. Vincent’s School respect for all persons and all of without bumping into anything
for Handicapped Children. Each God’s creation s. I was humbled or anyone; who play football in
night of our trip, we reflected on by spending time with kids who a wheelchair with limited hand
the story of Jesus cleansing the always keep smiles on their function. After our last trip, I had
Temple in Jerusalem, which is faces and make the everyday forgotten the specific hardships
found in each of the four gospels. hardships they face because of the residents of St. Vincent’s
In the familiar narrative, Jesus their disabilities look easy. Now, face, and had returned to my
removes the money-changers when I feel an urge to make own privileged, able-bodied
and animals from the temple value judgements about people life on the Upper East Side. On
because he is appalled by their
my second trip, I had another
lack of respect for the sacred
opportunity to strengthen the
place of worship. Elsewhere in
bonds I had made, and through
the Gospels, Jesus “drives
additional conversation with
“What values in
out” demons and illnesses
my friends, they brought
our
society
need
to
from individuals; he does
me into their lives. I had a
so in order to protect
be ‘driven out’ in order long conversation with a
what remains after the
young man about topics
to protect the good
affliction is eradicated.
ranging from American
that
God
instilled
Our Bible Study in Haiti
politics to what he thinks
provoked us to consider
of
the new facility St.
in humans?”
what we need to “drive out”
Vincent’s recently moved
and what we aim to protect in
into, to what he wants to do
our own hearts in serving.
once he leaves the center. He told
The moral imperative of
me that it frustrates him to sit in
figuring out what is essential to different from me (or even when his wheelchair all day long, every
following God extends beyond I’m frustrated with something day, and he really emphasized
the individual level to our myself and feel like giving up), the value he places on working
community, nation, and world. I remember the determination and employment with his
There’s no question that real and compassion of the people I disability. Through conversations
change is needed today, but met in Haiti.
like the one I had with him, I was
specifically, what values in our
It is a truly extraordinary encouraged to think about what
society need to be “driven out” experience to be surrounded by it means to be “disabled,” and
in order to protect the good that people who translate from sign I left with a transformed and
God instilled in humans?
language to Creole or French lasting appreciation for people
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