THE TSUNAMI AND GOD

Dr. Richard J. Henderson January 16, 2005

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Psalm 40:1-11
Romans 8:31-39

Introduction

At seven AM on December 26, a "mega-thrust" earthquake suddenly sent a 500 mile-per-hour tsunami roaring across the Indian Ocean. When it hit land, some of the waves were thirty feet high and wiped out everything in their paths. What they didn't destroy on their way in, they dragged with them as they receded. We saw film of a ten-foot high surge of water bulldozing its way thru the streets of a town, and that was four miles away from the coast. The power of this tsunami was unbelievable.

In the wake of its force, there has been not only devastation of homes and businesses, trees and animals, but at latest count 167,000 human beings. We know what a tragedy September 11 was, but it is hard for us to comprehend a catastrophe in which more than 50 times as many innocent people died. As Kenneth Woodward wrote, "Whole families, whole communities, countless pasts and futures have been obliterated by this tsunami's roiling force."

This tragedy has forced millions of people to question their faith.

I

Some religions see this disaster as retribution for human failures. Many of the people hit were Hindus, who see not one God but many gods that control events of nature and everyday life. Most of these gods are female. They need to be appeased because they can bring good or evil to people, apparently on a whim.

For Buddhists also there are many weather gods to try to appease or to blame. At the heart of this tragedy is concern about Karma. Buddhists will look at what they have done individually or collectively that might have brought this on.

For Muslims all that happens is caused by Allah, including rain, earthquakes, storms, and tornados. Many Muslims will see this as a test - to see if, as a result of this, people will remain faithful to Allah or abandon their faith.

Many Christians are asking themselves, "Did God cause this to tidal wave?" "How could a loving God allow this to happen?" One person interviewed on TV answered, "I don't know what God's part is in this - I just have to trust God."

II

I don't believe God was involved in this earthquake and the resulting tidal waves it caused. It was an act of nature. (Nature and God are not the same thing!) This earthquake is one of the events that can happen on this planet.

At the bottom of the ocean, 160 miles off Indonesia, two tectonic plates have been pushing against each other for thousands of years. All of a sudden, on December 26, the top plate popped up, probably about 60 feet up, all along a thousand mile long ridge. That sudden shift caused enormous waves that moved at the speed of a jet. The resulting waves wiped out everything in its way.

I don't believe God caused that earthquake any more than God caused Mount St. Helen to erupt. This is a tragic part of the world in which we live. These things don't happen very often, but they do happen. I realize this is no consolation to the families who have lost loved ones. But it is the reality of these unusual events.

III

Some have asked, "Why didn't God stop that tsunami?" That is a more difficult question. But you can imagine what would happen if God stopped every earthquake, tornado, hurricane, rainstorm, and lightening bolt. Would God then stop every speeding car that puts someone in danger? Would God stop every drunk driver? Every child about to touch something hot?

God doesn't interfere with every bad event that goes on in life. If God intervened to stop every hurtful action, we wouldn't have free choice; we wouldn't live in the real world.

IV

A more important truth is that God stands with us in times of tragedy and pain. The God we worship has suffered loss. God saw his own Son humiliated and nailed to a cross. Our God understands the pain of suffering. God knows what it feels like to be hurt in life.

Albert Schweitzer wrote about the special bond that people have when they have suffered loss in their lives. He called it "The fellowship of those who bear the marks of pain." Our God is part of that fellowship because of what happened to Jesus.

The promise of the Bible is that God stands with us in our times of suffering - not as an outsider, but as one who has been there, who knows what suffering feels like. When we struggle, when we are in pain, when we feel horrible loss, we can go to God who knows what we are going through.

Conclusion

In his book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Rabbi Kushner writes that when horrible tragedies happen they are not "Acts of God" as insurance companies often refer to them. In fact, to call a disaster an "act of God" is blasphemy. An act of God is the response of people to that tragedy. It is the people who give from the little they have to help people in these disasters.

The "Act of God" is the people who take time off work to help people get the medical care they need or to help people rebuild their homes. Those acts of compassion are "acts of God"

The tsunami in Southern Asia was not an act of God. The millions of people who gave billions of dollars to help people stay alive, stay healthy, and rebuild their lives - those are acts of God.

God didn't cause the tsunami. God caused people to respond with care and compassion.

Amen.

©Richard J. Henderson 2005