Tornadoes and floods dominate local news. Polygamy cults, organized student beatings, and a nation without food headline world news. What should we think when we see people and nature acting so violently? How does all this possible make sense in the face of a God of love?
We're told God is sovereign; He's in control. And that really is the answer. Not everyone understands that, though. Sin is prevalent, but people cannot judge the character of God based on the flawed character of man. The incredible power of choice was given to man and in the beginning, man made the wrong choice. Ever since then, God has been working to make us right to Him again. First through a rigid set of laws; then through the amazing grace of Jesus. God didn't take the power of choice away, so people can still make bad decisions. The Bible doesn't indicate it rained until the separation due to sin occurred. Even nature was disrupted by sin!
When we as Christians see the devastation from seemingly endless severe weather, we pray, we help, we console. The sun will shine again. When we see reports of Haiti's people literally without a crumb of food--so that the people are making "dirt cookies" from butter, water, and dirt in order to fill their stomachs--we are called to pray and take action as the body of Christ.
To my friends that read this, none of this is likely new information. It's just the news has been overwhelming to me lately, and it really just helped me personally to type it all out and remind myself again. God IS present through the bad things that happen, and He can work through His children to bring about good. So let us not drown in the sorrow of so many tragedies, but let us put on the armor of God and stand firm for the cause of Christ. A conversation at work or school about all this mess may lead to an intentional conversation about the sovereignty of our Lord. Those who suffer through these times who don't know Him have nothing to cling to for hope. Now that's the real tragedy.
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