Katrina

Oh, the grief! The stories of heartbreak and loss multiplied yesterday. An entire major metropolitan area, and more, torn apart in a day. God help the victims; God help the families; God help the rescuers!

I haven't read other bloggers' responses to this yet. In the Christian blogging world, there will be much of great compassion and value. I fear (though I hope not) there will also be the occasional insensitive rant that this is a judgment on the casinos of Mississippi and the occult connection for which New Orleans is famous. Jesus' response to a related question does not downplay the seriousness of sin, but warns as severely about self-righteousness:

"There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.'”
(Luke 13:1-5, NKJV)

This is life-and-death business, with eternal effect. As Jesus refers to "likewise perishing" here, he's not saying that those who fail to repent will fall victim to natural disaster. He's pointing out our universal condition of mortality, and how urgent it is that we be ready at any moment. (I urge you to be ready to meet God, now and for eternity.) And he's teaching that it's not the Gulf Coast's special sin, if there is any, that brought this on them; we all carry the same burden and have the same need.

And thus we are all brothers and sisters, families in the loss. I have never lived in or visited that part of America, and I have no close friends there, so my loss does not compare to others'; yet my whole family and I are stunned and we weep.

Theological questions arise in events like this as well: "how could God allow it?" The answers are beyond the scope of what I can offer here this morning. At the time of the tsunami, Leaderu posted a series of articles that apply as well today.

Update 9/1/05: Some of the accusations of judgment are starting to appear, as the Jack Lewis blog points out. I reiterate, even if New Orleans were more sinful than other cities (which is not a statement I'm qualified to make) the above Scripture should warn us against jumping to such conclusions.

Posted: Wed - August 31, 2005 at 08:01 AM |

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Katrina

Thinking Christian by Tom Gilson