Clay in the Hands

Tough Topic Tuesday:  How is it that we serve a loving and gracious God but bad things still happen.

With the earthquake in Haiti, the age old question of why bad things happen to innocent people has been on the minds of most folks.  While I don’t have the answers, I do have some things for us to remember in the wake of such devastation and suffering.

First off, I am going to have to differ in opinion with some vocal Christian leaders quoted by the media in recent days.  I do not serve a God who punishes innocent people by “causing” this kind of suffering.  Haiti is not being punished.  God is present even in the midst of this devastation but is not its cause.

God created this world and the people in it – but along side this creation was given free-will.  Much of the suffering in the world is the result of the decisions of mankind – allowed by God but not caused by God.  Wars kill innocent people but people decide to go to war.

I am not a scientist, so I do not know the full impact the decisions of mankind have on the earth.  But I do know that mankind has lived for generations on this planet and has consistently plundered the resources with little regard to the future.

The main point I want to make is this: God loves each and every person in the country of Haiti and I believe God’s heart is aching along side each and every person in that situation.  The real issue is this – God expects us to love our brothers and sisters and have compassion for them.  So what is it that we can do to bring relief to the suffering – put another way, how can God use you and me to minister to the hurting in Haiti.

There are a number of ways to help in the effort to bring relief to the suffering.  The American Red Cross is always a good organization to support.  The Texas Baptist Men are putting together water purification systems and could use donations as well. My point is not to push a particular organization but rather to remind you that there are ways to help.

The biggest thing you can do is pray for those people.  God is not the cause of this situation but God is the answer.  Pray that God would use people to impact the suffering.