Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Mark 13:8 (NLT)
By now you have heard, read, and seen photos of the devastation in Haiti by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck this past Tuesday. The capital Port-au-Prince is flatten and destroyed beyond imagination. Blood-stained sheets and cardboards cover bodies piled in the streets. Seemingly every standing image of help has been demolished; hospitals, schools, orphanages, governmental structures, even the U.N. Headquarters. What was once called a home for some three million Haitians no longer exists. One CNN report stated the devastation equals the effect of several nuclear bombs. The Red Cross estimates over 45,000 death toll. Last evening I spoke with a Haitian ministerial colleague who has received report that some of his family members survived but yet not a word on three siblings. He had plans for making a trip to Haiti on January 25th prior to the earthquake, and still intends to if permissible. Pray that he and his team are afforded opportunity to go to offer assistance.
In light of the life-shattering effects of this earthquake or any natural disaster, one may wonder, “Where is God in all this (if there is a God)?”...“What does God have to say about this (if anything)?”..."What can I do in response to this?" These questions pervade the mind and heart in moments like this. In our quest to find answers we often turn to theologians. I appreciated the article by Dr. Albert Mohler, especially in light of the remarks made by Rev. Pat Robertson regarding a possible cause of this catastrophic calamity. Let me share three basic thoughts.