Beyond mountains, there are mountains.

I love this Haitian proverb: “Denye mon gen mon – Beyond mountains, there are mountains.” Mountains are beautiful but, if you are trying to get somewhere over the mountains in Haiti…it just seems like there is always another mountain to climb. And contrary to the Julie Andrews song – the hills are not always alive with the sound of music! Sometimes they just get in the way of where you are trying to go. When the mountain is a barrier – to clean water, to healthy babies, to work, to a lifeline- when the mountain is something you have to get over, around, or through to make it in this world…sigh.

In our faith, we often talk about moving mountains with one fell swoop. Jesus tells us “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move”. Our faith can be that big and powerful! But sometimes moving mountains is more about picking up a shovel or a spade, and moving the dirt one small scoop at a time. Little by little changing the world around us, according to God’s will. Like our friends in Haiti, who always lend a hand, who work together, side-by-side instead of one-by-one… let us move the mountain - a million small stones at a time – with patience and shoulder to shoulder.