More Than a Game: What Haiti Taught Me in Ninety Minutes

I watched Haiti play Scotland, and although Haiti lost 1–0, what I witnessed went far beyond the final score.

I saw a team that played with courage.

I saw young men who were not afraid to display their talent.

I saw discipline, teamwork, determination, and heart.

As I watched them move the ball, support one another, and fight for every opportunity, I found myself feeling proud—not because of the result, but because of the way they played. Sometimes the outcome does not tell the whole story. Sometimes the process reveals something even greater.

Those young Haitian players represented something beautiful. They showed what can happen when people work together toward a common purpose. They demonstrated commitment, sacrifice, and perseverance. They gave everything they had on that field.

And as I watched, another thought came to my mind.

While thousands of Haitians around the world were watching that game with excitement and hope, I wondered who else was watching.

Were the gangs watching?

Were the people who finance violence watching?

Were the individuals who place weapons into the hands of young people watching?

I wondered what must have been going through their minds as they witnessed a different vision of Haiti.

The players on that field were also young. They come from the same generation. They possess the same human potential, the same intelligence, the same capacity for greatness.

Yet instead of carrying weapons, they carried a dream.

Instead of spreading fear, they inspired hope.

Instead of destroying lives, they lifted the hearts of a nation.

The contrast was impossible to ignore.

Haiti does not manufacture guns. Haiti does not produce the ammunition that fuels violence. Those things come from somewhere else. Yet so many young minds have been recruited into destruction when they could have been recruited into purpose.

Watching that game reminded me that every young person carries God-given gifts. Those gifts can be nurtured toward creation or manipulated toward destruction.

What a tragedy when talent is wasted.

What a blessing when talent is developed.

The Haitian team may not have scored a goal, but they displayed something that statistics cannot measure: character.

Not one player failed to give his effort.

Not one player appeared to quit.

They played with passion, dignity, and determination.

And for that, they deserve recognition.

As I continued watching, my thoughts turned into prayer.

I began praying for those players, for their coaches, for the people who support them, and for the future of Haiti.

I prayed that God would protect them.

I prayed that He would keep them humble.

I prayed that He would reveal Himself to each one of them and draw them into a personal relationship with Him.

I prayed that their story would become greater than soccer.

That beyond victories, defeats, trophies, and recognition, they would discover the purpose for which God created them.

I prayed for every young Haitian watching that game.

I prayed that they would understand that God has given them talents, abilities, intelligence, creativity, and dreams.

That they would realize they were created for more than survival.

That they would discover their purpose.

That they would use their gifts to build rather than destroy.

I also prayed for Haiti itself.

For mercy.

For healing.

For restoration.

For peace.

And yes, I prayed even for those who are responsible for the suffering.

I prayed that God would awaken their consciences.

That He would bring them to repentance.

That He would expose darkness and frustrate the plans of those who seek to destroy innocent lives.

That He would rescue young people from cycles of violence.

That He would transform hearts before more lives are lost and wasted.

As I watched those young men play with such commitment, I was reminded that Haiti’s future is not found in fear.

It is found in its people.

It is found in its youth.

It is found in the gifts God has placed within them.

For ninety minutes, I saw a glimpse of what Haiti could become when talent is cultivated, when people work together, and when hope is allowed to flourish.

The final score may have favored Scotland.

But the spirit, the courage, and the heart displayed by Haiti left a lasting impression on me.

So today, my prayer remains:

Father, have mercy on Haiti.

Protect its people.

Strengthen its youth.

Bless those who dedicate themselves to honorable pursuits.

Encourage those who represent the nation with integrity.

Awaken the conscience of those who promote violence.

Bring confusion to the plans of evil and establish Your purposes in the land.

Raise up a generation that chooses purpose over destruction, service over selfishness, and unity over division.

May the gifts You have placed within the Haitian people shine brightly throughout the world.

And may Haiti reflect not the works of darkness, but Your glory.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.