New church facilities and worldwide storms

All our preparations to build our new church facility in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have perhaps given me a slightly different perspective to the recent news of the flooding and the tornados in many parts of the U.S., the cyclone in Myanmar, and the earthquakes and the flooding in China.

I remember vividly hearing from many outspoken Christian personalities (especially one well-known "televangelist") after Katrina, who blamed the people of the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast for the destruction we incurred. Their rationale was that God, in sending Katrina, was judging the sins of the people of this region, sins which obviously (at least in their minds) were much greater than those of other places in the U.S. and the world. That was the message heard loud and clear after the hurricane: Katrina was judgment for the sinful lifestyles of the people of this region!

Now, I admit that I have not been glued to the television lately or to the newspapers either for that matter. But it is interesting that I haven't heard anywhere near the same kinds of comments made about Oklahoma, Virginia, Arkansas, and Georgia (who experienced destructive tornadic activity)--not to mention all the states who experienced SIGNIFICANT flooding from the Mississippi River and others. I haven't even heard the same comments made about Myanmar and China.

Although many things are unclear to me in this world...one thing IS clear: I don't know the mind of God. It is clear to me that I don't know exactly what God has in mind in decreeing (permissively or effectively) whatsoever comes to pass in this world. It could be that He means to bring judgment at times. But I stand aghast at the audacity of some who pretend to KNOW beyond any shadow of doubt that that is what God is doing in one situation over against another.

It seems more likely to me, given the teaching of Scripture, that God--in decreeing (or allowing) horrific natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, cyclones, and earthquakes--instead of bringing judgment, is actually showing us our NEED. We live in a day and time that has become increasingly self-sufficient. Many people in our world go through life without ever having any significant need whatsoever. Hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes are paradigm-changing events. One cannot live through them unaffected. Thus, the purpose of these things would seem to be not judgment, but grace. God is graciously revealing our need to us so that we would be motivated enough to search for a solution to that need.

Rather than point the finger of judgment at people who are suffering greatly in times like these, Christians need to roll up their sleeves and point people to the only ONE who can meet their needs--the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God would motivate His people to do just that. And let us pray that God would motivate each one of us individually to do just that in our own situations, environments, and spheres of influence. Let's concentrate on what we do know and leave off the things that we don't.