God's Wrath and God's Kindness

The coverage of the sad unfolding of events continues in Haiti. It's so hard to watch the pain. It's also hard to listen to all the comments from different talking heads... including one Pat Robertson who says this happened because the Haitians 'had made a pact with the devil'. Pat, that's a little harsh, don't you think? Pat, you're an evangelist - do you think you could have pointed your audience to some words of truth and hope from God's Word? We never know exactly why these kinds of things happen, but we can look to the truth from scripture to get a glimpse of some ideas, rather than relying on Pat Robertson. Romans chapter 1 tells us that the 'wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness'. So how is that wrath shown? Natural disasters could be one way, couldn't it? If God is omnipotent, then He could have stopped that earthquake from happening. So He's either not omnipotent, or He chose to let it happen. My Bible boldly teaches His omnipotency, so I believe He let it happen... and for a reason. That reason can possibly be found in an account in Luke 13, where a tower fell on some people and killed them. And Jesus tells the survivors, 'unless YOU repent, YOU will all likewise perish'. So there's a warning in tragedy. The warning is a clarion call to those onlookers - REPENT. Many people in Haiti have rejected Christ and have followed false religions. This is their call to repentance. And this call is not only for the Haitians, but for anyone and everyone who does not follow the God that could have stopped this earthquake. And so we pray for the Haitians in their hour of desperation. We pray for people's kindness to go far in the relief effort. And we pray that they see the kindness of God amid the disaster, for it is the kindness of God that leads people to repentance.