Where is God when disaster strikes?

A caller recently rang a radio station to discuss the lessons of the Japanese earthquake, and said he knew why there had been a seismic event measuring 8.9.

It was because man was forever drilling for oil, and our planet was angry at the intrusion! Is that right? Is that what prompted the earthquake in Japan? What about the earthquake in Christchurch or the floods in Queensland, NSW & Victoria?

 (Dr) Bruce Watts explains what he understands about the Bible's answer(s) to tragedy ... read on ...

These are big questions about which the Bible has important things to say.

Often behind these questions there is a sense that there is a grave injustice in the suffering of the innocent. It seems so wrong and unfair. So what is the Biblical view of this?

The following points are worth noting: A sense of the injustice of it all only has meaning if there is really such a thing as right and wrong, fair and unfair. For the atheist suffering ought to feel normal. It is the mechanism by which all life has supposedly evolved. It is neither fair or unfair. It is just the way life works.

For an atheist, feeling that suffering is somehow abnormal or unfair would be like a fish feeling wet. CS Lewis reasoned that this very sense that suffering is not right and normal is prime evidence that there is such a thing as God and directly contributed to Lewis considering Christ (Mere Christianity, CS Lewis). Genesis 1 & 2 tells us that there was a perfect world originally, which is now subject to decay and suffering.

This situation is abnormal, hence it feels unfair and wrong. The world now contains disasters, evil, suffering, decay and finally death for all people. This is the result of a curse instituted by God in response to the sin of man. Tragedy is part of God's judgment on planet earth, deserved by all people everywhere. Christianity alone has an explanation for this upside down state of affairs on earth: it is no longer the place of blessing and the paradise it once was.

Jesus was questioned on this very issue in Luke 13:1-5. 1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Jesus makes 3 key points here.

Firstly, no one is innocent and we are all under God’s judgment.

Secondly, suffering or disaster is in no way an indicator that the people affected are any worse sinners than those who are more fortunate.

Thirdly, the suffering we experience shouts out to us that things are not right and that every person in the world needs to repent and receive forgiveness from Jesus before it’s too late and we face the ultimate conclusion of all this suffering: death. God has always had a plan to deal with injustice and suffering, right from the moment of the “fall” in Genesis 3 (Acts 2:23-24).

It involves a day of judgment and the elimination of evil at that point. It involves forgiveness on the basis of Jesus' death in the place of those who deserve such judgment and death. In Jesus God came into this world and experienced our suffering firsthand. In his death, Jesus took the judgement we deserved in order to save us and bring an end to our suffering.

The Bible tells us that this natural world is now groaning, as in the pains of child birth and is looking forward in eager expectation for the glory that awaits (Romans 8:18-25). On that day there will be a new physical order that will be characterised by an incorruptible natural world and body, no longer subject to disaster or suffering. There will be no more pain or tears or sickness or death. (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 21:1-4).

Finally, the lesson that we do need to learn is that we are not in control of this world. So often we think we can control and determine our future but the disasters that come our way must surely shake that kind of thinking. In response to the diasters we face we need to be still and know that the Lord is God (Psalm 46) and continue to trust him.

As Christians, we need to see such times as an opportunity for us to show God’s love & compassion, through our care for those who are suffering in the midst of tragedy and hardship.

To read more go to http://creation.com/why-is-there-death-and-suffering 

A good book to read on this is If I Were God I’d End All the Pain by John Dickson.

(Dr) Bruce Watts

(Bruce Watts is a long time resident of Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia. He is also an elder at Coffs Harbour Presbyterian Church. Thanks to Jamie Newans for his assistance in this article as well).