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Pastor Peggy's Page
This morning listening to the news I heard the report that the Red Cross has determined that there may be as many as 200,000 dead in Haiti following the earthquake on January 11, 2010. This is a staggering number of deaths from a single tragedy. Government workers are burying bodies in mass graves and there may never be an accurate total of the number of lives lost in this overwhelming tragedy. In addition to the number of deaths, there are over 300,000 people injured and just as many homeless. The news in this country has been difficult to watch. Reports have included stories of surgeries performed on sidewalks, looting, lawlessness, and food and supplies that arrive frustrating slowly.
Right after the earthquake occurred the confirmation kids were discussing the tragedy and how God could allow destruction. They wondered if God caused the earthquake as a punishment. Sometimes natural disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes are even called “acts of God.” Some wondered if the earthquake was the work of the devil.
The question the kids were really asking is the age old question, “Why does God allow suffering?” Suffering falls into two main categories; the suffering that humans cause each other, and suffering that occurs because of disasters such as earthquakes. The suffering that humans cause each other is easier for me to understand and to explain. God gave us free will and some people make terrible and evil choices.
Natural disasters are different. If God is all knowing and all powerful couldn’t he prevent natural disasters? Yes, I think he could. But, I believe nature is held in a delicate balance. Everything affects something else. I asked the kids if they saw the movie Bruce Almighty and reminded them of the scene where Bruce acting as God creates a huge moon to impress his girlfriend. The result of that large moon is destruction from tsunamis across the world. I believe this illustrates what really happens in our world.
The amount of the devastation in Haiti that occurred can be explained by science and social demographics. Scientifically, Haiti sits on two major shifting plates of earth and the quake was a relatively shallow one, which caused more damage then quakes that occur deeper in the earth. The population of Haiti's capital, Port-Au-Prince, is around 1 million people. This city was just a short distance from earthquake's epicenter. Finally, there are no real construction standards in Haiti that could help prevent so much destruction.
Natural disasters are not the only kind of suffering that affects innocent people. My nephew’s six week old baby girl dying of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome one week before Christmas is another example of natural disaster. Illness and disease is not handed out by God as punishment. This kind of suffering is not on the grand scale with thousands of deaths in Haiti, but tragic nonetheless leaving innocent people hurting. God did not purposely cause this baby’s death and God did not cause people of Haiti to die. Suffering simply exists in our world – without cause or purpose. I believe that God is a loving, ever present God who is right there in the suffering. God is crying right along with hurting people and helping them deal with their heartbreak.
Blessings,
Pastor Peggy
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
--Deuteronomy 31:8
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