wfn.org | UMNS# 05110-Commentary: Tragedies provide chance to respond in faith

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Commentary: Tragedies provide chance to respond in faith

Feb. 22, 2005	 News media contact:   Tim  Tanton * (615) 7425470*
Nashville {05110}

NOTE: A photograph of the Rev. William O. "Bud" Reeves is available in
the Photo Gallery at http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. William O. "Bud" Reeves*

The images from Southeast Asia are horrific: entire towns washed away,
shorelines laid bare, mountains of dead bodies. Can our minds even
conceive a disaster taking 150,000 lives? Only four months ago we were
wondering how to cope with four hurricanes in Florida.

Disasters like the earthquake/tsunami and the hurricanes, as well as
other heart-breaking situations, often cause us to question the goodness
and providence of God. It is one of the oldest and still the hardest
question of all: Why does God allow such suffering? Did God send the
tsunami to punish all those people? What could they have done to deserve
that?

These questions are at least as old as the Book of Job. When Job
suffered multiple tragedies in his own life, his friends assumed that
God was doing these things to him and that Job had done something sinful
to deserve such treatment. Indeed, many tragedies are clearly the result
of human choices. We can explain cancer, car accidents, war, murder,
etc., even if it is only to acknowledge human sinfulness.

But random natural disasters are another category of tragedy. We can
explain the geology of a tsunami, but we cannot answer the question,
"Why?" Are such disasters truly "acts of God"?

If we truly believe that God created the world and set the natural
processes in motion, there is a sense in which earthquakes, hurricanes,
tornadoes and so forth are acts of God. They are aspects of the world he
made. If God does beautiful sunsets, he also does tsunamis. Ultimately,
God the creator is responsible for all that happens.

But should we say that God therefore intentionally makes natural
disasters happen that will cause suffering? I don't think so.

God set the world in motion, and the natural processes of creation
operate with a certain degree of freedom, just as humans do. Romans
8:18-21 indicates that creation itself is affected by the sin of the
world and is yet to be completely subjected to the will of God. Until
the Kingdom of God comes in completion, there will be tragedies that
make us wonder.

Jesus taught that God "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)
The mind of God is a mystery; there are many things that we humans just
can't figure out.  (See Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 11:33-36.)

However, there are positive responses we can make in times of tragedy.

Tragedies give us the opportunity to respond in faith to God. Disasters
- natural or personal - force us to make a choice. Are we going to
believe that because bad things happen there is no God? Or are we going
to turn with our broken hearts to depend on God for strength in our time
of trouble?

I've seen it go both ways. Tragedy can embitter a person or deepen a
person's faith. We cannot ignore the questions; we must deal with them
the best we can. But ultimately we have to trust that God is with us,
that he loves us, and that we - not being gods ourselves - don't
understand everything.

Tragedies also open up opportunities for ministry. If we have not been
affected by a particular tragedy, what a great chance it is to be in
ministry with those who are! This is when we can show God's heart for
the hurting - placing the arms of love around people who are devastated.
The outpouring of worldwide relief efforts for the tsunami victims is
humanity at its best.

Even for those who have been afflicted by tragedy, the suffering itself
may open up new opportunities to serve. I have personally known cancer
survivors, mothers of children killed in car wrecks, and victims of
tornadoes who use those experiences of suffering to create opportunities
to serve others in meaningful ways. A positive response of faith by a
person who has suffered is a miracle of divine proportions.

I'm glad that I don't have to figure out all the answers to these deep
theological questions. I'm glad that I can depend on the love of God to
be steadfast and unchanging, and I can turn to him when the going gets
tough. I'm glad I can trust that "in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans
8:28) I can rest in that faith.

# # #

*Reeves is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Bryant, Ark. This
commentary originally appeared in the Arkansas United Methodist
newspaper.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org