Steve's Letter: Where Was God?

I had a frustrating week that turned out to be a really good one. As I started to tell you about it, though, the earthquake in Haiti happened. On a scale from one to ten-Haiti being a ten, and ice cream and cherry pie being a one-my frustration level was about a minus five.

So being the flexible person I am-and if you believe that, you'll believe anything-I decided to say some things about Haiti.

Well...uh...the problem is that I don't know what to say about Haiti.

If you're looking for answers to the why of the earthquake, and the incredible devastation, loss and pain, I don't have any. If you were a pagan, I would argue with you and probably win the argument, but this only goes out to believers. And we need to be honest with one another about this kind of thing.

Not that I would be dishonest with unbelievers, but what they say is often such drivel that all one has to do is to point it out.

"Hey, big Christian guy, where was your loving God when this happened in Haiti, huh?"

"You don't care anything about Haiti! We were there before the earthquake, building hospitals and schools, and feeding the hungry. Long after the government leaves, we'll still be there! You'll still be sitting in front of your HD television, drinking beer. Now, tell me, what do you know about Haiti and when do you plan on going?"

More often than not, the unbelievers go silent...especially if you have a deep voice like mine and say it with authority. They aren't asking questions to get answers. They're just creating smokescreens to enable them to continue to be autonomous, to wit, they can't be God and worship God at the same time. So you attack the smokescreen and they, of course, forget about the original question.

But we're family and I move the previous question.

Really, where was God? How could a loving God allow something like this?

I've done a lot of interviews about the earthquake with radio stations around the country and have been asked those questions so often. While I don't have the answers, I do have some things to say. I'm a Bible teacher and God isn't silent.

First, I tell Christians not to be glib in the face of tragedy.

The interesting thing about the Bible is that God hasn't given us a lot of answers about the why of suffering and pain. If God doesn't, we should be fairly hesitant too. Job, for instance, is the main book in the Bible dealing with suffering and a good God, and it is not a book of answers. In fact, Job is a book of questions from God. When Job had just about had it and yelled at God, God replied, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me" (Job 38:2-3).

At the end of God's profound questions, Job (in Hebrew, of course) said, "Oops! Shut my mouth! I think I'll just go over here and eat dirt now."

When we try to give answers and don't have them, we say silly things. That's what Job's friends tried to do-give answers when they didn't have them.

You've probably heard about the prominent Christian leader/celebrity who spoke of a "pact with the devil" (in reference to 1791 in Haiti), suggesting there could be a correlation between that and the earthquake.

Now, the man who said that will, at the same time, also send medicine, food and people to Haiti so, because of that, I'll give him a pass. Besides, I've said enough really dumb things to have learned not to throw rocks.

But still...

My understanding of God is not that he curses bad people, but that he binds up their wounds and blesses them. That's what he did for me.If I got what I deserved, I would be history."For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly....God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6, 8).

In the radio station interviews, I've also mentioned the incredible compassion of Christians.

We're a screwed-up bunch. To every single critical thing said to me about the church, God's people and myself, I've wanted to say in response, "You have no idea. It's a lot worse than you think!"

But when the world falls apart (as in Haiti), Christians shine.

In referring to the churches in Macedonia who were going through a hard time, Paul wrote, "In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part" (2 Corinthians 8:2).

That's the pattern of God's people and it's always been true. When unbelievers fled the plagues that swept Europe, Christians went into the cities, nursed the sick, buried the dead and cleaned up the mess. I can remember being so proud of Christians in South Florida when we went through Hurricane Andrew. There were so many organizations that came to help...and all but two were Christian ones. And they stayed long after everybody else had left. All over the world, and in your community and mine, Christians have rushed to Haiti and contributed medicine, material, and millions and millions of dollars.

We do compassion right!

And it should be said that we worship a God of compassion, not just a God with "words of compassion." It is an incredible and amazing fact that an infinite and sovereign God entered our dark world of pain and suffering, suffering with us. It's almost as if God said, "I can't give you answers because you're not smart enough to understand, but look at my tears, my pain and my suffering...and know that I know, and I care."

Do you remember the man blind from birth in John 9? Jesus healed him and amazed everybody else. The interesting thing about the incident is that the disciples noticed him and asked Jesus who had sinned: Had he screwed up or was it his parents? Jesus was kind, but clear: "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him" (v. 3). In other words, the tragedy was not about the tragedy, but about God and his glory, love and compassion. It always is.

No answers. But that doesn't mean we don't have anything to say and do.

As Spurgeon said, "When you can't trace God's hand [and anybody who says they can in the face of the horror of Haiti is a fruitcake!], trust his heart."

Don't doubt in the dark what God taught you in the light.

Cling to him and do all the good you can as long as you can.

Sometime (maybe soon) Jesus is going to come back to clean up the mess, answer the questions, balance the books and glorify his own.

Until then, do the best you can and he'll help.

He asked me to remind you.

In His Grip,