LivingTips: Ivy
What did Japan do to deserve such destruction?! Millions are asking this question. Implied is the idea that a spiritual force whipped up the oceans, crushed Japanese villages, killed women and children, and exposed grief-stricken survivors to nuclear radiation. When we hear of such catastrophes, people think . . . GOD.
A tragedy of this magnitude is beyond human comprehension. We feel compelled to make sense of it. Since it is beyond our reasoning, we turn to that which is larger that humanity. We look to the spiritual. And, here’s where we get stuck.
The truth is that the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear meltdowns are spiritual. This is true because everything is spiritual. God created all that exists, and He continues to uphold all that is material. Without God, everything material would cease to exist. In this sense, God is involved with the tragedy in Japan.
We know that God is involved, but we all have different ideas about how and why?
Why did God do this?
Why didn’t God stop this?
Where was God that day?
When our fellow humans were small and powerless, where was God’s loving, powerful force? Was He in the ocean sweeping out innocent children? Or, was He in the rescuers helping the hopeless? We know He was there, but how and where and why?
We can speculate about God’s involvement, but we cannot really know. We do know about God’s plan for creation, our stewardship of the earth and God’s love for people. Yet, in the wake of tragedy, these basic concepts don’t answer every single question that remains.
Knowing God’s character takes us a bit deeper in our search. We know much of who He is from the Bible. We know about His goodness, love and holiness. Still, God remains mysterious. This is what it means to trust. God wants us to trust in Him. This is the tough, raw stuff of trust. When trouble is big, and we are small, will we continue to trust in God?
We can’t know why the tsunami occurred. We certainly shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that the Japanese were singled out as a group displeasing to God. We should trust that God loves the Japanese. God wants to comfort the Japanese. And, God wants to love them through us.
I don’t know if God has waves and rocks, but I do know that He has hands and feet. We are His hands and feet in the earth. We testify to His love with our very lives. When people question God, when they look for something deeper, show them His light through your love.
How are you answer people’s search for the spiritual in the midst of tragedy?
We can speculate about God’s involvement, but we cannot really know. We do know about God’s plan for creation, our stewardship of the earth and God’s love for people. Yet, in the wake of tragedy, these basic concepts don’t answer every single question that remains.
Knowing God’s character takes us a bit deeper in our search. We know much of who He is from the Bible. We know about His goodness, love and holiness. Still, God remains mysterious. This is what it means to trust. God wants us to trust in Him. This is the tough, raw stuff of trust. When trouble is big, and we are small, will we continue to trust in God?
We can’t know why the tsunami occurred. We certainly shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that the Japanese were singled out as a group displeasing to God. We should trust that God loves the Japanese. God wants to comfort the Japanese. And, God wants to love them through us.
I don’t know if God has waves and rocks, but I do know that He has hands and feet. We are His hands and feet in the earth. We testify to His love with our very lives. When people question God, when they look for something deeper, show them His light through your love.
How are you answer people’s search for the spiritual in the midst of tragedy?
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