Rising from darkness and fire - and now, rubble

Rising from darkness and fire - and now, rubble



One of the many stories of perseverance and hope rising from the rubble of Haiti:

Romel Joseph was born to a poor Haitian family. He is completely blind in one eye and can only see shadows in the other. His love of music began as a boy the day he heard a Tchaikovsky concerto played by one of the sisters who taught at his school. Romel became so proficient in playing the violin that he won a Fulbright scholarship to study at Julliard and train with the Boston Symphony.

But instead of embarking on what would have been a very lucrative performing and recording career, Romel Joseph returned Haiti and, in 1991, opened the New Victorian School to teach music to the children of the poorest of the poor. In 2000, a fire destroyed the school - but, 12 days later, Romel was teaching classes again and the school was rebuilt.

And then, on January 12th of this year - ten years to the day of the fire - the New Victorian School was destroyed in the Haitian earthquake. No students were in the building at the time of the quake but Romel was trapped inside the rubble for 18 hours. He survived by praying and “playing” in his head every violin concerto he knew.

Tragically, Romel’s pregnant wife perished in the earthquake.

Romel was flown to Miami where he was treated for two crushed legs and two severe fractures in his left hand - the hand with which he grips the violin. Doctors don’t know if he’ll ever be able to play again.

Yet, even in the heartache and wrenching loss, Romel Joseph is determined to rebuild the New Victorian School - again. “As long as Haiti has children, you have a purpose being there. As long as there are kids there, they have to have a reasonable level of health and they have to have an education.

“I need more than an earthquake to make me stop my work in Haiti.”

In conquering one hardship and calamity after another, Romel Joseph has embraced the hope of the Gospel fig tree. Despite the sadness and tragedy that can cut down our lives in disappointment and despair, God continues to plant in our “orchards” opportunities to start over, to try new approaches, to move beyond our hurt and pain to make things right. Christ call us to embrace the hop of the fig tree and the determination of the gardener, to remember that God’s endless grace enables us to rebuild God’s kingdom in our midst again and again, to experience the promise of resurrection in every “death” and every Good Friday we experience.