When hurricanes like Harvey =
devastate so many lives, where is God? That’s a really good =
question—one which I’ve heard whenever a hurricane, tornado, =
or tsunami wreaks havoc—and it deserves an honest, though maybe =
surprising answer.
It’s been said that =
tragedies bring out the best in people, and that certainly is the case =
in Houston. In addition—and here is my answer to the question =
posed above—tragedies bring out the imago in people, the =
biblical claim that humans are created in the image of =
God.
We’ve all seen the =
stirring TV images of people helping others in Houston. What some fail =
to see is the reflections of God’s own character in these moving =
images.
Compassionate volunteers helped =
nursing home patients flee before the rising waters inundated their =
residences. Did the volunteers always act this compassionately in the =
past? Or did the enormity of the crisis bring their true design, based =
on God’s love, to the surface?
A rescue worker was neck-deep =
in rushing water, risking his own life to save another’s. And a =
flotilla of private boats—likened to those from Dunkirk—also =
rescued stranded residents. Could the impulse that sacrificing =
one’s life for others is worthy reflect a divine =
trait?
A tow-truck driver named =
Fernando used his vehicle to rescue families because, in his words, =
“It’s the right thing to do.” In a world that assumes =
there are no objective rights and wrongs, tragedies recalibrate our =
moral compasses and remind us that some things are always right. Could =
doing the right thing be more than an instinct? Could it be an echo of =
the very nature of a righteous and moral God?
Families wept over the death of =
loved ones, just as Jesus wept near the tomb of his friend Lazarus. =
Could our tears and sorrows be reminders that death was not part of our =
original design, that we were created to be like =
God—immortal?
(Think about it: if atheistic =
materialism is true, don’t you think we would have become used to =
death in 3+ billion years of life on planet Earth? Wouldn’t we =
have settled the case that human deaths are par for the course and =
shouldn’t trouble us more than the death of a plant or =
pet?)
An ordinary man walking through =
a flooded street carried a woman, who also carried a baby. And a =
furniture store was converted into a temporary shelter. Could these be =
reminders not just of the value of helpfulness, but also gentle =
reminders of another protective man, a woman carrying a child, and the =
stable in which they were given temporary =
shelter?
So where was God during the =
hurricane in Houston?
God was mourning with those who =
mourned their loved ones’ deaths. God was inspiring the acts of =
compassion, the risks through rushing water, and the intuitions to =
choose the “right thing” in a world that prefers relativism. =
God was directing those who carried others to safety and the impulse of =
boaters to risk their own lives to rescue others. God was even in the =
humble act of storeowners to lend their space for temporary use. And God =
was doing all this through the power of his very nature, which is =
stamped in every human being.
God is not absent but is very, =
very subtle. He hides himself in plain sight, but can be found when we =
learn how to decipher the clues that point toward His presence. And the =
clues are abundant right now in Houston.
~~
Dr Bob =
Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"
- 09/08/17 Grif.Net – What’s Been Going On this Week
- 09/11/17 Special Grif.Net – Lessons from Being Delayed