Wow the devastation is the worst I’ve seen in my life. They are now reporting that hundreds of thousands could perish from this devastating earthquake. I saw one video of the ground bouncing like a trampoline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLUMNdO8ic How horrifying and devastating to these poor people.
TV Evangelist Pat Robertson seems to think it is because of some ancestral curse, others think it is a judgment of God. Why has this happened? Or better yet, if you believe in God why would he let this happen?
Jesus taught one day about a tower that had collapsed on a bunch of people, maybe it was an earthquake that caused it, but none the less the death toll was significant. Jesus never asked why. In fact his response on the surface seems cold and callus. Do you think they were any worse than anyone else he asked? I tell you no, but all of you will likewise perish unless you repent. The presence of evil was not shocking to Jesus but what was shocking is that people somehow thought the people who died in the tower deserved it or had done something really bad for that to have happened to them. In other words there had to be some legitimate reason for it. But Jesus never concerned himself with the reason, since sin and the presence of it in this world was and is still reason enough. What Jesus concerned himself with was the necessity for repentance or death will be victorious over anyone who doesn’t repent. Then he told an interesting parable about a tree that had born no fruit for 3 years. The farmer had had enough and said cut it down but his partner said no leave it one more year, I will fertilize it and dig around it and give it special attention and see if it bears fruit. If still doesn’t produce fruit then we will cut it down. In other words God is patient with all of humanity, He desires all to repent, when these things happen it should bring us to our knees first, for as Jesus instructed, there will come an end to God's great patience with unrepentant humans.
In some ways worrying about why is like getting upset about spilt milk. We could spend an enormous amount of time figuring out how it got spilt but perhaps the better use of our time would be spent cleaning it up and consoling the one that spilt it. Haiti has experienced a terrible tragedy. Instead of worrying about the why, let’s allow it teach us to realize that life is full of evil because of sins effects on all of creation. We should let it lead us to repentance, and then let it lead us to pray, give or go and help with the clean up. Compassion is the evidence of good in the midst of such horrific evil.
