Haitian Holidays and Cultural Rebellion

Thank you for your prayers...this has proven to be one of the most mild hurricane seasons we've experienced since coming to Haiti, and though there has been some rain and flooding, we didn't see anywhere near the expected devastation.   Thankfully, Daddy's flight DID still get cancelled, and he is here until tomorrow!  Having him the extra weekend has been a joy and a blessing.

I wrote this Tuesday, and am just now getting around to publishing...have a wonderful Sunday!...

Madame Matt, supposedly just the quite shadow of her husband, got into it with the men again Tuesday.  I tried to keep my mouth shut when I realized the entire second year group were in agreement, but found myself unable. 

“Well, I simply do NOT agree!”

The result of this Madame’s big mouth, this time, was some really good stuff.

The topic of conversation was the Celebration of the Dead, the holiday that closed down just about everything in Haiti on Monday and Tuesday.  Our Haitian Administration did not even consider closing for this event, which had me curious as to why. To work on some English conversation skills and to better understand the holiday, I asked the guys to explain the celebrations to me.

I learned that the Celebration of the Dead was deemed a national holiday by the Catholic Church / Government.  However, the conversation quickly turned Voodoo as the guys explained that witchdoctors and female witchdoctors lead groups of people to cemeteries, where everyone gives acceptable gifts of food, coffee, trinkets, clothing and household items to Baron, the demon of the cemetery.  These gifts are given through the witchdoctor, and then Baron, through the witchdoctor again, deems which dead are to receive which gifts.

Participants then celebrate the dead with wild partying various Voodoo ceremonies, some of which, the students said, even include the most valued gift, human blood.  This is a time of year where Voodoo kidnappings are more common, as witchdoctors or their servants actually snatch children or adults and use them as human sacrifices. 

However, in recent years as some of these practices have been looked down upon by other places in the world and in some Haitian circles, this Celebration of the Dead has been pushed in Haiti NOT as a Voodoo Holiday, nor a Catholic Holiday, but as a Haitian Holiday.  As such, the government encouraged all institutions and businesses to close on Monday and Tuesday to honor this Haitian tradition and culture.

One second year student went so far as to say, “We can’t do anything about these ceremonies.  But the government says that this is our culture.  This is being Haitian.  So even as Christians, we must submit to the government and honor these celebrations because we are Haitian.  If the government thinks we should close to honor our culture, we should have been closed.”

“Even though you just explained the whole thing to me and every single step of the celebration and holiday is clearly Voodoo?” I questioned the pastor.

“Yeah.  I mean, we shouldn’t go CELEBRATE in the cemetery or anything, but we should respect our culture by basè tet nou, (literally, bowing our heads) to what the government thinks is best.”

I almost couldn’t speak.

I asked the guy next to him.  “You think so, too?”

“Yeah.  We should have been closed.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.  This is Haitian culture.”

Long pause.

“WELL.  I simply do not agree!!!” I spouted, praying for wisdom in my response to debate with this highly intelligent, experienced, beloved group of men.

I have tried entering in debates like this before in which I was quickly told that I am NOT Haitian, therefore cannot understand.  SO, I headed into my neck of the woods, instead.

“Let me tell you something about MY culture,” I said, quickly scanning my brain for an example that would be as shocking to them as human sacrifices and Voodoo gift giving was to me. 

“Do you know what abortion is?  Homosexuality?” 

I took a few moments to describe both of these things, watching jaws drop as all eyes were glued on me.  Just as I couldn’t believe some of what they were telling me about the Celebration of the Dead, they just could not believe that abortion and homosexuality openly exist in the United States. 

“But American says, In God We Trust!” one student said.  “America says it is a Christian nation!  How can that be allowed?”

“Jean-Marc,” I said.  “These things are not just allowed.  They are accepted.  In some circumstances, Celebrated.  We were a Christian nation, but now behaviors such as these that are clearly spoken about as heart-breakers and wrath-invokers before the Lord are VERY acceptable practices.  In MY culture.”

I began to feel really sad.

“In MY culture, it would infuriate many people if I said boldly that abortion and homosexuality were sins.  I would be persecuted in most circles, as many Christians are, for standing up boldly against these things.  It is only popular to be tolerant, to say that anything goes.  Why?  Because they are AMERICAN.  Americans have freedom.  They sleep with who they want.  They are pregnant IF and WHEN they want.”

“But!” Borgella couldn’t contain himself.  “America says it is a Christian nation!  How are the nations of the world going to come to Christ if they see you?  What if people see how America is acting!?  How will people see Jesus?  Haiti claims to be Satanic, so when people see us they expect to see Satan!  But if people think America is Christian and they see people committing these sins, NO one will want to become Christians!”

I didn’t know what to say, except “I KNOW.”

The guys were thoroughly invested, entirely appalled. 

So I jumped into transition. 

“It’s my culture, guys.  My government says that these things, and a lot of other things, are ok.  That they are what it is to be American.  The Bible CLEARLY says that these things are wrong, JUST like the Bible clearly says that worshipping demons and sacrificing children is wrong.”

“And I am an American!  BUT WAIT!  I am a Christian.  I am not a Christian because my nation was founded on that.  I am a Christ-follower because I CHOSE it.  And when I chose Him, I was born again.  NOT as an American, but as His.  I cannot expect my culture, even one that claims to be Christian, to show me what it MEANS to be His.”

“Now, I am not American anymore.  It is the country I am from, but I AM a Christ-follower.  First and foremost.  In all situations.  And if I was instructed by the president or the government, as an American, to celebrate something that the Bible clearly says is wrong, I would have to take a stand.  I could NOT submit my head to what was culturally acceptable, even if it meant I weren’t American.”

“I am SO thankful that we have a Christian, not a Haitian, making our schedule here at Emmaus (Lucner Pierre).  And I hope that we are all here together, studying God’s Word, every single time other places closed in celebration of demons, death and Satan, EVEN if Haiti says that it is good.  And I pray that ALL of us will have opportunities every week to die to our cultures, die to our traditions and die to our desires for the sake of Christ, that many may come to know Him because we are Faithful!”

By now, pregnant Stacey was thoroughly exhausted and had a thoroughly transformed audience.  I LOVE the opportunity that I have every day to be a part of changed thinking.  Ah, I pray it gives Him glory and that He never allows me to sway opinions in a direction that is not pleasing to Him!

My pastor-friend that started the whole thing finished it off.

“YES.  You are right. (a VERY rare thing for a male pastor to tell a female!)  We will study the Word and celebrate instead that He lives and that we follow after Him.”

“YES” the class nodded, and on to our lesson of indirect questions. 

This is the second time in these past few weeks that I have asked for your prayers for cultural rebellion.  The Haitian people are very proud of their culture and traditions, something we love about this country.  However, please pray with us for every Christian on this island, our staff and students and us included: that we would not follow the norm blindly, but that we would take every opportunity to transform Haiti for Christ by laying down the nets of our comforts, prides and customs and follow Him.