I've become a little angry over the last week with much of what has made the news in light of the earthquake in Haiti. What began as an irritation has become a full fledged disgust. Shortly after the earthquake I was forwarded an interview where an infamous "Christian" was proclaiming that the devastating earthquake was an act of judgment on the people of Haiti because of a previous "pact to the devil." I've been amazed and repulsed at the amount of news time he has received.
On the other end of the same spectrum I also read a New York Times Op-Ed article titled Haiti's Angry God. "If God exists, he's really got it in for Haiti" said the author. The entire article mocks and belittles the faith of the Christian Haitian people and God with statements like, "Why, then, turn to a God who seems to be absent at best and vindictive at worst? He concludes by saying, "Perhaps a God who hides is better than nothing."
Why am I angry? Two reasons: First, I deplore that religious wackos are always portrayed in the media as the Christian norm. I've spent far too much time having to follow after these people picking up the pieces of hurt and confusion they've left in their wake. Second, I'm offended at the arrogance of some people, believers and non-believers, who think they have the right to judge God and presume to know or understand His actions or judgments.
I accidently came across a great article (Does God Hate Haiti?) last night that covers the matter very well. If I had one paragraph to counter all the bad press God and Christians have gotten over the disaster in Haiti I would quote Albert Mohler who says, "Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God's perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts -- there would be no hope."
My prayer is that the survivors in Haiti would know that there is hope. There is a God and He is not absent. Mankind is helpless to understand how and when God dispenses His judgment or His grace, but one thing we do know, all His ways are just and we, the clay, do not have any right to judge the potter.
His Slave to Righteousness
- Tyler Wess
Heirloom Journey Bible
(Click on the picture to see where my Bible has been lately)
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3 comments:
Did you text your $10 donation to the Haiti relief effort? Hundreds of thousands have. 10 seconds and $10 and now you can check “good works for humanity” off your to do list and feel great about yourself and your social duty. I fear that most of the world will use feel-good efforts like this to define whether or not you’re a caring person. If you’re a Christian you’re called to do more. Do you really want to help Haiti? Spend 10 minutes praying for them, send them some Bibles, Go there and preach the gospel through your actions. Of course, if you’re going to do humanitarian work face to face, don’t forget that while the globe might not notice, there is plenty of ministering we can do right here in our hometowns as well.
Good post Tyler. I agree that people do not have a right to say what is Ok or not for God to do. We don't know his mind, or his reasoning. We can only do what he asks of us when these things happen. Hope is an abiding spiritual gift and there is always hope.
Remember when the man was born blind in John’s gospel? The disciples asked Jesus if it was the man himself or his parents who sinned because the man was born blind. Jesus replied that it was neither, he was born blind so that the works of God might be done in him. And they were. The works of God are being done in Haiti, with every person that reaches out to help another suffering person, whether the rescue/ relief workers, the adoptive parents of Haitian children, or just us prayer warriors here at home. God loves Haiti..look at those courageous wonderful people there..how could you not? Sometimes what frustrates me is how we are always looking for explanations, and maybe that energy best be directed towards compassionate prayer and helping in any other way that we can. Things happen that we won’t always understand, and remember what God told Job when he questioned Him…if God gives us, the clay, as you so rightly say Tyler, any understanding about anything at all..it is His gift.
Wendy W
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