Not one, but two hurricanes have slammed the U.S. First, Harvey, then, Irma. The physical devastation from these storms is unfathomable, described by many as mammoth and tragic.
But for others such colossal tragedy, in their minds, 'serves us right' -- for 'if we're honest -- we had it coming to us' -- by virtue of the sin and unrighteousness of our land. Translated: God Almighty prompted such a horrific outpouring of utter destruction, as a sign of judgment; to punish us for our iniquity. Dana Milbank provides a summary of preachers trumpeting such retribution.
"...After Hurricane Harvey, [Pastor Jim Bakker] declared that “this flood is from God,” punishment for the former mayor of Houston attempting to subpoena ministers’ sermons. Bakker said this while...sharing his set with Pastor Rick Joyner, who agreed storms don’t “happen by accident.” Likewise, Pastor Kevin Swanson has said the path of Hurricane Irma would be altered by God if the Supreme Court quickly made abortion and gay marriage illegal...Pat Robertson, who saw God’s hand in the Haiti and San Fernando Valley earthquakes, has also said U.S. political pressure on Israel causes natural disasters in the United States, and he warned that gay tourists at Disney World could cause a meteor strike. But he has been quiet about Harvey and Irma. Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, who blamed the Sandy Hook school shooting on tolerance of gay marriage and abortion, has made no similar claims this time. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/did-lesbians-cause-hurricanes-irma-and-harvey-god-knows/2017/09/08/638efbca-94bf-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html?utm_term=.ecf40f73cc30
In fairness to this roster, the vast majority of pastors -- and lay folk, for that matter -- have not connected God's judgment to national/global natural disasters. But, surprisingly, many Christ-followers, connect God's judgment to personal disasters e.g. to personal 'hurricanes,' setbacks and tragedies.
My wife, Robin often reads at night before going to bed. A while, back she read out loud a selection from James Bryan Smith's The Good And Beautiful God that startled me. Recounting his thought-path after discovering that his new born daughter, Madeline was handicapped, Smith:
"...began thinking about the bad things I had done in my life, wondering which one of them could have made God angry enough to give us a child born with terminal birth defects...Then I thought. Maybe it was my wife! After all...Maybe she did something bad...I let my mind wander in this fashion...and sank deeper into a mixture of remorse and sadness, anger and suspicion. As my mind wandered down this path, it seemed that Madeline's birth was the sad sum of a simple cause and effect equation: God was balancing accounts or had some reason behind his actions. And to question or judge the rightness of God's action would be to add even more to sin..." James Bryan Smith. The Good and Beautiful God. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 2009, p. 39,
Before you assume Smith's perspective is the exception, consider this finding from Baylor University: "...Approximately 37 percent of Christians believe that God is both 'judgmental and highly engaged in the affairs of humans.' Like a divine Judge, God is watching us closely, eager to punish us for even minor infractions..."James Bryan Smith. The Good and Beautiful God. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 2009, p. 41.
I've thought such things about God, on more than one occasion. For me, it stems back to my childhood. Growing up, my father would periodically threaten me (but never employ) a belt as a means of punishment, when wrongs were committed. In like manner, my mother would threaten me with a ‘belt-like,’ punishing view of God, when wrongs were committed: ‘God's going to get you!' – she'd say after I committed some offense. Now, in fairness to my mother, she also relayed the forbearance of God. But when mistakes were made, or errors committed, she tended to ‘go for the belt.’ The result: I developed a punitive view of God, especially when I was not at my best, or things didn’t go well. And so rather than remembering the forbearance of God, when I screwed up (or during trying times) I tended to picture God with a belt, thus plummeting into self-flagellating thought.
But then I rediscovered Romans 8, reawakening to a healthier God-picture for tough times. “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].” (Romans 12:1, The Amplified Bible). For as Elihu reminded his colleagues as they suggested that Job's woes were the result of hidden sin: "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity." (Job 34:10)
I've thought such things about God, on more than one occasion. For me, it stems back to my childhood. Growing up, my father would periodically threaten me (but never employ) a belt as a means of punishment, when wrongs were committed. In like manner, my mother would threaten me with a ‘belt-like,’ punishing view of God, when wrongs were committed: ‘God's going to get you!' – she'd say after I committed some offense. Now, in fairness to my mother, she also relayed the forbearance of God. But when mistakes were made, or errors committed, she tended to ‘go for the belt.’ The result: I developed a punitive view of God, especially when I was not at my best, or things didn’t go well. And so rather than remembering the forbearance of God, when I screwed up (or during trying times) I tended to picture God with a belt, thus plummeting into self-flagellating thought.
But then I rediscovered Romans 8, reawakening to a healthier God-picture for tough times. “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].” (Romans 12:1, The Amplified Bible). For as Elihu reminded his colleagues as they suggested that Job's woes were the result of hidden sin: "Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to commit iniquity." (Job 34:10)
So, if God doesn't do wickedness, what does God do? God does love. Jeremiah trumpets this attribute of the Father, in Lamentations 3.
“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:19-26).
Tease apart this text. Yes, I remember affliction and bitterness – yes, I am downcast. Yet: this I call to mind: the Lord's love is great. Thus, I am not consumed. Every morning: great is God's faithfulness. Therefore I have hope. Therefore I wait for God. For God is good.
Medicinal insight to remember, in place of the toxin of condemnation. For as Woodrow Kroll reminds us: "...God permits but never commits..." https://www.backtothebible.org/devotions/dont-blame-god Translated: God allows hurricanes, but never causes hurricanes.
So, amid hurricanes (national/global or personal), I encourage curiosity toward God -- not terror of God. Not -- "...oh God, is punishing me...: But -- "...why God, are you allowing this?..."
As a pastor, I’ve been in many hospital rooms. In that setting, one quickly discovers, there’s little interest in theoretical banter. Persons want verbal direction for piloting their trauma. And so often I’d encourage persons to get inquisitive. “Let’s assume God is Almighty and Sovereign. And let’s assume because God is Almighty and Sovereign, God could have intervened, preventing the calamity that you are experiencing. For we can safely assume God has done just that zillion times before. I mean God intervened and spared you from getting brutally injured when the neighborhood bully ‘knocked the socks off you’ 40 years ago. God intervened and spared you from the infection that ran through your high school 30 years ago. God intervened and spared you from a wrong mate selection 20 years ago. God intervened and spared you from the drunk driver who was two cars behind you 10 years ago. And God intervened and spared you from getting terminated prematurely from your job 12 months ago. But God didn’t spare you from this current dilemma. And so, apparently, there's something God wants you to gain – to discover -- or – God would have intervened and prevented this.”
This is a risky approach to lifting folks in heavy seasons. It assumes a lot about God. But it’s proven useful, for it prods people to think through the darkness, itemizing discoveries, rather than just emote in the midst of it. In essence, listing learnings is listing outcomes. For 'hurricane seasons' are not periods of punishment – but chapters of conditioning – where we discover new insight into the continuing prospect, nevertheless, of a healthy, better, moving life.
And so hurricanes of any sort, are not God's judgment, but God's opportunity, to discover how resilient and resolute we can be, as 'better comes out of bad,' through that which batters, cracks and breaks our days.
God saves and will save me. Remember that in your next hurricane. Better yet, let's remind each other, as hurricanes swirl around each of us. For we will continue to go through trouble. But God will hold our lifeline -- bringing better out of bad.
A special joy is watching my wife Robin cook. But when Robin cooks, can I be honest, our kitchen is a mess! Why? Because Robin “slices and dices” everything! I mean in prep for a major family celebration, she'll mash potatoes – peel apples – crack eggs – and chop up walnuts. I mean: she mutilates everything! Or did she? For out of the mashing and the peeling and the cracking and the chopping up – comes what? A better product – a family feast!
We all have been mashed – peeled – cracked – and chopped up. That's what hurricanes do. But did it ever occur to you, a better product might occur? Isaiah came to that conclusion: “It seems it was good for me to go through all those troubles” – he writes in Isaiah 38. “[For] throughout them all you [oh God] held tight to my lifeline. You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing… [For] God saves [ultimately] and will save me!..." (Isaiah 38:17-20. The Message).
God saves and will save me. Remember that in your next hurricane. Better yet, let's remind each other, as hurricanes swirl around each of us. For we will continue to go through trouble. But God will hold our lifeline -- bringing better out of bad.
Thank you, Paul, for your insightful commentary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that many times our sorrows help us to become a 'wounded healer'. Because we have been through the horrors, when others are depressed and low due to similar situations, we can become 'wounded healers' for them. We do this by recognizing their grief, and then, by listening and caring.
Christ, Himself, was a Wounded Healer, as He took upon Himself the sins of the world. In doing so, we are assured that He understands our situations. Through His caring demeanor, we are healed.