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By Dr. Wayne Evans,

Official Planet Zman Spiritual Advisor

If you remember Emily Litella from the original cast of Saturday Night Live, she would bloviate about one thing or another in the news. Say she would hear complaints about “violins on television,” she would defend violins with great passion only to find out the complaints were really about “violence on television.” Then she would turn to the camera and go, “Never mind.” I thought of that again when I heard on the news that people are urged to give up their ipods, gas-guzzling SUV’s, and meat for “lint.” I immediately thought, “I give up lint for lint! Who wants lint anyways?” Well, I’m going to have to get my hearing checked: they were talking about the season of “Lent.”

In my religious tradition, we don’t do much with giving up something for Lent. But it is a way to personally feel the loss that someone else experienced in bringing great blessings to us. We do that on Memorial Day to remember those soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who gave their lives for our freedoms. Mothers Day and Fathers Day help us remember the sacrifices our parents made to make our lives better. The Jewish people do that when they eat bread without yeast (the “bread of haste”) to remember the Passover. And Christians do that in Lent to remember that Jesus gave His life for believers to redeem us from our sins. When people experience loss and that brings us benefit, we shouldn’t race on as though our good lives are all from our own efforts.

I just returned from a week in Haiti following the earthquake that brought about so much devastation. I saw enough wreckage and tragedy in a few minutes to last anyone a lifetime. The smell of death is too vile for words. I preached at a funeral I thought 40-50 people might attend only to find about 1,000 people had bulged into the church and its side yards to mourn the loss of one lady. They wept and whaled—some even fainted. It may have had more to do with the overall loss of more than 213,000 countrymen than just her one life. I may have given the sermon, but the peoples’ grief moved me. It was a privilege to take in many thousands of dollars to help get people food, water, and supplies. In the midst of it all, I can tell you that the Haitians could rally from their blank stares to venture a new hope for the future—a new Haiti.

People often cite as a great thing about cigar smokers this one thing: cigar smokers are generous. They are often among the first to give to people in need. This is such a time for the people of Haiti. I saw so many relief agencies in Haiti from church and mission agencies to UN agencies to the Red Cross (of various countries) to the military forces (again from various countries) and more. As one who was there in Port-au-Prince the day the last survivor was pulled from the rubble, I urge you to give up something for the Haitians. Give to the charity of your choice. There is plenty for each one to do. Then as you fire up a fine stogie (as I have done tonight), you will know that you have played a part to bring relief to people who now live in one huge refugee camp and need it now more than ever. On their behalf, I say to you a heartfelt, “Thank You!”