« Lost Women of the Bible |
Main
| But, Mom, The Culture Made Me Do It! »
How Do You Explain Tragedy?
I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I am going to leave this entry in the hands of commenters.
With the recent hurricane devastation in the South, I'm sure a lot of people are wondering why such a thing occurs, and a lot of them cannot reconcile such great devastation, death and disorder with a Good God Who Is In Control. Often, people will answer this question by deciding that if there is a God, He is either not good, or not all powerful.
If an unbeliever asked you where God is in natural disasters, how would you answer? Would you give the same answer for tragedies that originate from human evil?
It's a huge issue and I've taken a small stab at the natural disaster aspect at http://www.darjeelingirl.com/archives/2005/09/02/172/.
Natural disasters are just that - natural. They are part of the built in ecosystem that God designed. We Americans have a hard time respecting that. Sometimes, we just need to trust Him for protection and provision when we can't forsee the disaster coming. Other times, I think we defiantly put ourselves in harms way. Thankfully and gracefully, either way God stays with us through it and uses it as much as we allow Him to show us who He really is and who He has really intended us to be.
Samantha, I am a five point Calvinist (wasn't always this way) and therefore believe that all that happens is ordained of God.
To read the history of the Israelites is to see a God who frequently brought some sort of disaster upon His people as a form of chastisement. I believe that those who focus on the "God is Love" aspect of His nature and who make apologies for Him and excuses that a loving God would never do such and so to people -- its just the laws of nature (as though God doesnt' actively govern those laws!) really don't understand the sinful misery and depths of depravity of humans or the sinfulness of sin. We deserve all this and much more.
What makes us think that God has left off bringing nations to judgement and chastisement? May this recent occurance humble us and cause us to seek God's face.
I liked Paul Johnson's article in The Spectator which was published after the tsunami, "Why the giant waves were acts of a benevolent God"
http://www.lewrockwell.com/spectator2/spec540.html
"Why did God kill so many people? But God kills people all the time, millions every day....The true theological or philosophical point to be made about the Indian Ocean wave — if, indeed, there is one — is that it is a timely reminder of the fragility of our existence in this world, the ease with which life on a sunny holiday beach can be snuffed out in a few torrential seconds, and the awesome power which nature still wields, and will always wield, in a world where science and engineering make such boastful strides in subduing her. And any reminder of the ultimate and total powerlessness of human beings, made always necessary by our arrogance and boasting, must be an act of God, and a very sensible and benevolent one too."
Just read the Johnson article--very good.
In terms of speaking to an unbeliever, who will have all kinds of biases as well as emotional wounds, reactions, etc . . . IOW, its a very loaded question usually. . . I think it is wise to turn to stories. (I say this at the risk, I realize of being labeled as postmodern or emerent ;-). Pain is very, very difficult to understand. God chose to insert the story of Job into the Bible to help us wrestle with it.
In addressing this question via the topic of Katrina, I think it is helpful to look at the story of New Orleans and the region. Might it be a judgement? Might it be a 'severe mercy'? What new hope might God bring out of this? NO was a very poor and corrupt city, as well as a vibrant and beautiful one.
What grief has the person asking the question encountered personally that makes it difficult to answer? Addressing that hurt with the Gospel of truth and grace will do much towards opening the eyes of one to the good soverignty of God.
God is good and completely in control, yet as with Job, the "why's" of his ways are very difficult to understand, especially when we are in the midst of the pain and the story has yet to completely unfold. We are wise to be gentle, compassionate, weeping with those who weep, yet also without denying either the mysterious goodness and soverignty of God.
Samantha-
This is a great question, and you've really stirred my thoughts on the subject. I think that an unbeliever would easily recognize that tragedy happens in the lives of all people. Sooner or later all people face loss in some sense, especially death. I do think that when something like Katrina happens people ask "Why?" and "Where is God in this?"
I agree with you that it would be nearly impossible for an unbeliever to reconcile such devestation with a God who is sovereingly in control and perfectly good. Maybe this is something that only a believer can attempt to grasp? I can see how such questions are so dominating, because we like to think that bad things only happen to bad people and that surely we are far from that category. Or if the bad things happen to seemingly good people, we assume that God is not good. But the truth is that we have all sinned in God's eyes. We all must face God's judgment throne someday, so maybe some better questions than "Why?" and "Why would a good God allow this?" are "When God judges my sin am I going to be ready?"
Two good articles that directed my thoughts on this were: www.godsongmusic.com and also John Piper wrote a good article about this at www.desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/2005/090205.html
-Christa
