God and Tsunami? -- Thoughts on Natural Disaster

Introduction

In one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, the 2004 Indonesian Tsunami took the lives of countless thousands of people. This particular Tsunami was caused by a magnitude nine earthquake, which yielded massive waves that eventually crashed the shores of Asia, completely leveling cites and villages. The death toll was estimated as well over 150,000.

In light of such widespread devastation, many relief funds were set up, as workers scrambled to help those extremely needy people. Most of us in the West were left to pray and offer financial aid. The survivors, however, had to deal with the aftermath of this mind-boggling event.

As news groups reported the mounting casualties, and experts described what actually took place, one simple yet haunting question once again came to the fore: Why? Why would a good God allow for such utter turmoil and destruction?

It is at this point that many theists postulate that God has nothing to do with these disasters. After all, natural disasters are just that, natural, and so God’s relationship to them is non-existent. On the other hand, some propose that evil, natural or otherwise, is simply part of the risk God took in creating a free world.1

But, whatever truths can be gleaned from these perspectives, those who seek to do justice to the Christian Scriptures cannot escape the tension so easily. For instance, the Psalmist declares, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, my emphasis). Likewise, Paul states that God “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, my emphasis). Furthermore, certain passages of the Bible deal directly with the issue of God and His relationship to the natural world. In a prophecy against the city of Tyre, God allows the “ocean depths” to flood the land (Ezekiel 26:19-21). Of course this is a specific case of judgement and thus we must be careful about presuming to know God’s intention(s) in this catastrophe. Still, the thought remains that God can indeed bring about such weather anomalies, including acts of retribution.2 More to the point, other passages of Scripture point to the overarching control of God over nature. “Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding” (Psalm 148:7-8). Amos even describes the Lord as the One, who made the Pleiades and Orion and changes deep darkness into morning, Who also darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, The LORD is His name (Amos 5:8).

Clearly, though often mysteriously, God governs the affairs of this world, even the natural world.

How, then, can we make sense of natural disasters? In what way is it possible to believe in a God who is both sovereign and good? Put bluntly: How can a gracious and ruling God allow for such evil and not be held accountable for it? Once again, we are faced with the age-old problem of evil.

What follows are a number of general remarks regarding the dilemma of suffering. My modest goal is to provide a context for thinking through human tragedy from a biblical perspective. Among many factors, I would suggest the following:

God and Human Tragedy

1. It is essential to be humble in the presence of a sovereign God.

While it may be perfectly natural, even understandable, to blame God for the awful things that take place in this world, events like the Indonesian Tsunami, it is also imperative to recognize that we stand in the presence of an awesome God. Though a certain type of “complaining” is warranted (Psalm 55:17), it is important never to trivialize the One to whom we offer our complaints. If the Lord truly does, in some sense, control nature, then He is indeed a powerful being, far exceeding our ability to exhaustively comprehend. In light of the fact that God is the king of heaven and earth, in view of His awesome holiness and incomprehensible ways, we must never minimize His greatness. He is loving beyond words, to be sure, but He is also mighty beyond description.

2. While God is sovereign, the expression of His sovereignty clearly goes beyond what we currently know about Him and His relationship to natural events.

Though God is the Ruler of all things, including nature, we must not presume that we understand how He accomplishes this. Certainly, He works through secondary causes and other factors; that much is clear. Beyond this, however, there is much that we cannot even begin to penetrate. God may rule in human affairs, but the “how to’s” are difficult, if not impossible, to trace out. While this may not get God “off the hook,” so to speak, it does help us to see that there is a vast difference between believing that the Lord rules and comprehending the manner in which He carries out His will. At the very least, and in the context of the Bible’s overall depiction of God as good and fair, this factor helps us to recognize that God is never guilty of any injustice or impropriety when bad things happen, even when this may appear to be the case. The problem, therefore, is not God’s but ours. Divine greatness combined with human ignorance leave us in a place where we simply cannot perceive all that God is and does.

3. In many ways, the existence of suffering actually demonstrates the accuracy of the Bible, which has always predicted this type of world.

While this doesn’t lead to anything like a resolution to life’s difficulties, it does show that the Bible, which is the primary resource for knowledge about God, contains not only hard truths, truths that are difficult to understand, but also elements that perfectly fit the world in which we live. In other words, while the God of Scripture may be beyond full human explanation, many of the things He has revealed are consistent with life (and death) as we know it. Far from disproving or invalidating God, Scripture actually provides reasons to believe that He knows what He’s up to, even if we cannot grasp many of the details.

4. In considering the mystery of suffering, it is important to acknowledge and embrace the even greater mystery of the transcendent-immanent God.

One of the most puzzling features about God is the fact that He is presented in Scripture as both above us and with us. On the one hand, He transcends human beings. He is thus presented in Scripture as the Ruler of human history, the Governor of human affairs, and the Master of nature. It is in this sense that we must not disconnect God from daily happenings. While we may not know the manner in which He reigns, God certainly does–in His goodness and wisdom–guide all of life.

On the other hand, this same God is also immanent, that is, He is with us. In this sense He shares in our joy and our misery. He rejoices in our triumphs and sympathizes with us in our heartaches. Indeed, He is the closest of companions, the Lord who walks along side us as a friend.

What is most strange, of course, is that these seemingly opposite traits coexist in the same divine being. Yet, this is precisely the way they are portrayed in Scripture, and the biblical authors do not hesitate to place these truths side-by-side. To provide just one example, consider the scene of Lazarus’ death (John 11:33-44). In that passage, Jesus clearly determines what will take place (He anticipates Lazarus’ death and subsequent resurrection), yet when He arrives at Lazarus’ tomb He expresses genuine sorrow (He truly lives in the moment). It’s as if Jesus planned the whole thing and also reacted to it. He participates in the story He creates.

The realization that God is both above and with us ought to help us get our bearings when it comes to the problem of tragedy. Again, though not resolving the difficult issues, this does help us to recognize that any resolution to the problem of evil is hidden in the even greater mystery of the transcendent-immanent God. Think, for example, of Job, who suffered indescribably. Job never received an explanation for his trials; rather, he encountered a God who, amazing at it may sound, was even greater than the untold sufferings of His servant (Job 38-42). In the final analysis, then, we are left not with complete answers but with the Answerer, who, we are told, is reliable and trustworthy. When unable to fully grasp, we can at least marvel.

Seeing the Big Picture

To be honest, situations like the recent Tsunami bother me. While I have general thoughts about the issues of God’s sovereignty as it relates to human suffering, I do not anticipate anything like a final solution to the problem of evil, at least not in this life.

However, I do tend to think it is important to have a framework, a place from which to think through these difficult matters. Whether I have hit the right themes here may be debatable, but the fact that we must start somewhere in our approach to human tragedy is unavoidable.

What I am proposing is that the Bible’s vantage point be taken seriously, and this necessitates faith. By faith, I do not mean a “blind leap in the dark,” as critics often accuse. Nor do I intend to enumerate with precision the content of this faith. But I do believe (there goes that faith factor again) that the general flow of Scripture provides a reasonable way ahead. And this involves a willingness to see as much as we can about the God who claims sovereignty in human affairs.

But this, I sense, is where some critics fail to be fair. While noting the apparent inconsistencies of a Christian worldview, they are less apt to pay attention to (or even be aware of) those aspects of the faith that are, shall we say, more faith-bolstering.

Among these, Scripture plainly teaches many amazing things about ourselves and the world in which we live. For example the Bible predicts a world that includes certain positive human traits, and this is exactly what we find in the world. On the other hand, human evil is consistent with Scripture’s depiction of life in a world that has rebelled against its Creator. Indeed, this dichotomy, this strange mixture of good and evil in man, is itself an indicator that the biblical authors got it right so many centuries ago. It can be argued, in fact, that no major religion so captures the nuances of life in the real world as the Christian (and Jewish) Scriptures.

Then, of course, there is the person of Jesus. The manuscript support for the writings that tell us of Him are substantial. The documents of the New Testament are ancient and reliable, originating, it would appear, among those who knew Him best. And the resurrection, the central factor in determining Jesus’ identity, rests on solid historical evidence. That Jesus’ tomb was found empty on Easter morning, that He was seen alive again by numerous reputable individuals, including some skeptics, speaks volumes about the assertion that He actually conquered the grave.3 Beyond this, many have found in the Gospels a portrait of Jesus that is believable. In other words there is much more here than a mere religious tale. There is something about Jesus that has resonated with countless millions down through the centuries.

The point of all this is not to discount the problem of evil or to minimize the horror of a Tsunami. These things will always stretch our faith and defy our understanding. However, as bad as these things are (and they are!), this is not the only part of the story. When the problem of evil tempts us to abandon faith, we must remind ourselves of the reality of good, the amazing influence of Jesus down through the ages, and the countless stories of changed lives.4

Conclusion

What could God possibly be up to amid such a catastrophe? Is this an act of judgment? A wake-up call? Something else entirely? Perhaps this is yet another example of the bizarre providence of God, which will ultimately yield fruit. Whatever theory one favors, there is likely no simplistic explanation for these cataclysmic occurrences. Indeed, I suspect there are many things that we mere mortals simply cannot apprehend; the intensity and scope of suffering in this world appear to be among them.

As we consider the many awful realities that plaque this world, both from nature and humanity, our hope rests with an unchangeably good, just, loving, and yet often baffling God. Thankfully, He has not chosen to remain aloof but to live and die among us. In Jesus, the living God entered our world (to join us), encountered our sufferings (to feel for us), endured the worst of evils (to rescue us), and in His evil-defeating resurrection gave us a hope that will outlast hard times.

One day, we will no longer be threatened by the forces of nature; one day, we will possess more information and better explanations for these heartbreaking situations; indeed, one day, Tsunamis will be subdued by the same Lord who conquered the waves nearly two-thousand years ago. Until then, let us look with confidence–shaken and baffled though we may be–to the One who comforts us in our agony, walks with us through the darkness, and promises to carry us to the light.

1. Some take a view that might be described as deistic; in such a scheme, God “gets the whole thing started” and then pretty much takes a hands-off approach to the world. This position is incompatible with a Christian worldview, which affirms that God is very much involved in daily affairs. Then, there are the so-called open-view theists, who maintain that God took a deliberate risk in choosing to create such a world as ours. Proponents of the “open view” have drawn attention to a number of issues that traditional evangelicals often minimize. Still, while they have something to add to the discussion, they do not, in my opinion, take seriously enough the more obvious implications of divine sovereignty in Scripture.

2. Indeed, the greatest flood that this world has ever known was specifically an act of judgment against rebellious humanity. See Genesis 6-7.

3. Former skeptic Frank Morrison wrote: “There may be, and, as this writer thinks, there certainly is, a deep and profoundly historical basis for that much disputed sentence in the Apostles’ Creed–‘The third day he rose again from the dead.’” Frank Morrison, Who Moved the Stone? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), 193. Even Anthony Flew, the former atheist who recently changed his mind about the existence of God admitted that “The evidence for the resurrection is better than that for claimed miracles in any other religion.” Anthony Flew, quoted in Pastors.com at http://pastors.com/article.asp?ArtID=7756. If Jesus has indeed conquered death, He is unquestionably unique among known religious figures.

4. Among other factors that support theism, one might also consider the evidence put forth by the proponents of intelligent design. See, for instance, Mere Christian: Science, Faith & Intelligent Design, William A. Dembski, ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998), William A. Dembski, Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science & Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVaristy, 1999), and The Creation Hypothesis: Scientific Evidence for an Intelligent Desginer, J. P. Moreland, ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1994).