One Christian's Response to the Tsunami and Suffering

The following is an email from a close friend of mine about the tsunami that I think is an especially well-written response from a guy far more intelligent than I. I've withheld his name on purpose, but have his permission to share the content of this.

Dear David,

I have been thinking about the same statement you made last Wednesday , and at some point I would have responded. But anyways, here is a summary of my thoughts - more or less organized - on this issue. To me this whole thing boils down to our false impression that we actually know our God, that we can penetrate his character, that on the pages of the Bible he revealed himself to us in a large enough measure so we can actually understand, make sense of, and explain to others why calamities happen, why there is genocide in the world, why tsunami's volcanoes, earthquakes, meteors, etc. wipe out entire cities, and countless people perish within hours.

Ultimately we experience the tragedy of the tsunami, much like the majority of tragedies and calamities around the world, from our living rooms, behindthe safety of our tv screens. The information, though tragic and hearth breaking, comes in a sterilized form, it can only penetrate so deep within us, it is filtered by the reality of the fact that it wasn't us, or someone we love, whose family was washed ashore dead, in the aftermath of the event.

We experience this first of all on an intellectual level, and due to our circumstances we have the leverage to control how deeply we allow it to affect us. We turn off our tv sets, then turn to each other and try to analyze, with a clear mind and unaffected emotions god's purposes in this whole event. Did god do this to punish, or not? If he did, then how do we reconcile that with our notion of an all-loving, and eternally forgiving God? If he didn't then why did he allow it? We will take one or the other position based on our own perception of reality, life, God, right and wrong, and so on.

But that is as far as it goes. We have conversations, and at some point we feel satisfied with the explanations and answers we arrive at.

Lets get beyond the television screen, and go half way across the world, where a man stands on the rubble of his own house, and stares with an expression that goes beyond desperation, down on the bodies of all his family members, wife and children. He is all alone, and the only possession he has left is the shirt he wears. Let's tell him that God did this to punish the pagans in his town. Or better yet, let's tell him that God really loves people and he would never do such a thing to anyone, and this is just a side effect of a broken world, and one of the things god allows to take place on earth. How much comfort do we think he would find in either one of these explanations. Which one will lessen his suffering more? Does it matter which one is true? Are there only these two answers, and if we can't think of a third one, then there mustn't be one? Does it really matter!?

A few years ago I went through a divorce. I remember the day, actually the night (why these things get discussed at night, I do not know) when my wife at the time, told me that she had given herself completely to another man, and if she could be with him at that moment she would leave me and go to him. That night and in the weeks that followed, I felt empty, broken and desperate. People were telling me (some were pastors of course) that this happened because somewhere I had sinned and even though they didn't know (in their words) how and where it happened, God was punishing me for that.

Others were telling me that God is trying me to test my faith and if I fight hard enough I can get my family back. Others said that God gives freedom of choice and my wife chose to walk away from her marriage via the adultery route, and there isn't much I can do to bring her back unless she decides to.

It didn't matter to me which one was right, which one was wrong. I continuously felt like a freight train was running through my heart, and all I wanted was the pain to stop and for me to get my family back. Explanations did not matter to me, and I don't see why it would have mattered to the rest of the people. What I learned from that experience is the same message that God tries to convey at the end of Job's book. God does not give an answer to Job, he doesn't pat him on the back
saying 'that a boy! Thank you Job for hanging in there for me, this was a celestial bet, glad we won!'

Instead, God comes and says: ' who is the one who darkens my plans with mindless rhetoric!?'

What I gather from Job is this: ' I am God, I don't owe you any explanations, deal with life.' If it happens to you, remain silent and wait for me to walk you through this. If it happens to others, pray for them, and don't presume you know me and why I did this.

I know this is a long email, but I need to add one more thing. I think our evangelical world tends to overdo this whole image of God who is nothing but loving and forgiving. I know he is merciful, I know he desires a relationship with us, I know he waits patiently and forgives everything. I need his grace more than anyone I know, trust me. But at the same time he is a God of justice. I do not know why the tsunami happened. I am glad I have one more day than I was promised to live for him and be a light in the world. Love without justice turns to abuse.

Lets not take God's love and turn it into this co-dependent relationship, where he helplessly wrings his hands in heaven and lets humans walk all over him. We are to keep close accounts with our God, and at the same time throw ourselves at his mercy and grace, without which we would have no chance.