Recent Articles | About Authors | About the Syndicate | Archives

To receive a plain text copy of this article by email, see info at the bottom of this page.

Real Answers™
jj91
Copyright: © ©2006 James J. Jackson
615 words

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW NATURAL DISASTERS?

By: James J. Jackson

I recently traveled to Sri Lanka to issue eyeglasses and help rebuild an orphanage that was destroyed in the devastating Tsunami wave that struck much of south Asia on December 26, 2005. Over 40,000 people were killed on this small island, alone.

Many of the Sri Lankan fishermen lost their boats and nets, escaping with only their lives. Their homes were washed out to sea. Most of the women were seamstresses who lost all of their possessions, including eyeglasses, which are critical to their trade.

A fast-moving wall of water over 40 feet high slammed the shore, and, just as quickly, receded, dragging people, homes and possessions back out to sea. It is breathtaking to witness the devastation it left in its wake.

One team member came upon a thin old man, standing alone on the seashore, arms outstretched, crying out to the vast Indian Ocean, "Why have you done this to me? Why did you destroy my family and my boat? Why? Why? "

Bill, the team member, photographed the forlorn man, and later wrote a poem entitled, "Tsunami Man," in which he attempted to express the total sense of loss the man felt, and yet express how even Tsunami Man could have hope in the midst of pain.

Many Sri Lankans and people around the world ask, "Why?" Why does God allow disasters to destroy people and property? Is He angry with us? Does He simply hate us? Why does He allow children to die, and storms and earthquakes to come from nowhere, leaving such total destruction in their wake?

I didn't speak to the Tsunami Man, but I have spoken with others who asked the same questions, in Sri Lanka and around the world. The answer is always the same. God created the earth and the heavens, as well as all life. Mankind was His crowning glory of all creation, since He created us in His own image.

The Bible tells us that we were meant to live forever, and death and destruction, deterioration and wasting away were not a part of the original plan. Mankind has brought all of the devastation upon ourselves through sin. The author of all sin, Satan, wreeks havoc upon the earth, mankind and everything in creation.

God tells us that the wages of sin is death. The price for all sin required full payment. God knew that we could never pay the price, which is perfection, so He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and to become the perfect, unblemished sacrifice, to pay the price for all sin. And He offers His free gift of eternal life to all who will receive it.

God tells us that we live only for a moment in this life, but, our souls will live forever, either with Him in glory, or without Him, which He describes as hell. God will give those who believe in His Son new, indestructible bodies, and will create a new heaven and new earth; believers in Christ will abide with Him forever. That is the message Christ commanded us to bring to the Tsunami Man, and all who cross our path.

Whether we travel across the ocean or within our neighborhood, Christ asks us to reflect His love to all by our countenance, our willingness to help others unconditionally, and by letting others know that they do not have to live lives of despair. He even sends His powerful Spirit with us to give us the words to say and to prepare the hearts of others to hear His message of salvation.

With God doing all of the work, our tiny sacrifice of just making ourselves available isn't very hard to do. Is it?

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

Request this article:
To instantly receive a plain text copy of this article by email, enter your publication title, city and state, and email address, then retype the article number (shown in bold below). Then click the "Send It" button once.
Fields marked (*) are required

back to top