THE TSUNAMI, SUFFERING AND GOD'S JUDGEMENT
by Dr Calvin L. Smith
©  Calvin L. Smith 2002

Since 26 December we have seen countless television images of the horrific devastation and untold suffering caused by the recent tsunami. To date, some 150,000 people have died. Disease threatens thousands more, while millions are either left homeless, badly injured, orphaned, or deprived of their families and/or possessions. The unspeakable misery is compounded by the psychological trauma the survivors - mostly children - will face for years to come.

The disaster raises yet again that age-old question, "If there is a God, why does He permit such suffering?"  A day has not passed without this question being asked on some news programme or other. Many Christians' attempts to answer it in the midst of such misery often sound feeble and hollow to unbelievers. It is one thing to discuss the question theoretically, but quite another in the face of such destruction and calamity.

Yet, some have volunteered responses. And as if it is not enough trying to respond to a hostile world seeking answers, some Christians have even declared publicly, categorically and with full confidence that the tsunami is God's judgement on Islamic fundamentalism. Given that 60-70% of the victims are Muslims, the say, God is wreaking vengeance against those who have persecuted Christians in the region. Naturally, voices are raised in objection. If this is God's judgement against Muslims, they say, why did so many Europeans, including 2000 Swedes, also perish? It is a good question. Yet some of those professing God's judgement respond by saying that Sweden, too, is being judged by God. Its recent hate laws prohibiting any criticism of homosexuality (which recently led to the criminal conviction of a Pentecostal pastor there) means God has decided to punish them also. Among others, this is the view of a well-known, extreme hate preacher in the U.S.called Phelps, who even most fundamentalists have distanced themselves from. Unfortunately, this view is also shared by several decent, moderate Evangelicals who should know better. I find such views troubling for various reasons.

Yesterday, I witnessed on TV the terrible and unspeakable suffering of the region's new orphans. One small child who had lost everybody sobbed uncontrollably in front of the camera. He was not alone. One little girl was in total shock, not knowing how even to handle the day she was filmed, much less the rest of her life. There were countless other innocents in many countries across the region. Let us try and get this into some kind of perspective.  For a moment, just imagine you had lost everyone you knew: your parents, brothers, sisters, children, cousins, friends, neighbours. absolutely everyone.  How would you feel?  Who would you turn to? Where would you go, and what would you do? It simply doesn't bear thinking about. But let us go further. Now imagine you are only seven, eight or ten years of age, with nowhere to go, no one to love, no tangible memories of your families, absolutely nothing - all is emptiness, with no one to protect or love you. All of a sudden, the misery, trauma and despair is compounded a hundredfold. Yet unbelievably, for many of the innocent victims it gets worse. There are numerous disturbing reports circulating about how many of these children now face exploitation by evil, despicable and utterly sinful paedophile gangs and children traffickers, who seek to kidnap and enslave these children for life. The ensuing misery surely cannot be expressed in words.

In the face of such suffering of orphans, we cannot help but be drawn to the various passages in the Bible that tell us over and over that He is the God of the orphan, that we should care for them (eg James 1:27), and if we fail in most basic and fundamental of Christian responsibilities, then we invoke His wrath.  In other words, God hates the maltreatment of innocents, especially orphans.  I worked for many years with orphans and orphanages in Romaniaafter Ceaucescu's regime collapsed, and it broke my heart. I would gladly give up all my Bible college work to do it again (God knows, I have tried to do so so many times). Of course, not everyone is called to such ministry. But frankly, when one is faced first-hand with the suffering of parentless children, most other ministries appear to pale into insignificance. Yet in the face of what we see in Asia, some Christians even dare to suggest that the tsunami, which caused such untold excruciation and misery among children more than any other group, and which created so many orphans, represents the righteous judgement of God Almighty. Frankly, such views do a Truly Righteous and Just God a great disservice. In fact, it is nonsense.

Moreover, if this is God's judgement on Islamic fundamentalism, why were so many of the victims not Muslim extremists? In fact, why were so many of them committed Christians? Such reasoning is exactly that employed by those self-same extremist fundamentalist Muslims when a disaster hits Americaor any other Western country. Consider also if God is judging Muslim fundamentalists in the region for persecuting their Christian neighbours, why have so many of these same Christians who have been persecuted also perished at the hands of the God who is vindicating them? What kind of judgement is that? It is nonsense.

If this is also God's judgement on Sweden, hadn't all of us better watch out? Swedenis no more or less sinful than other Western countries. Yes, its laws forbidding criticism of homosexuality are extreme - even many atheists who value free speech have condemned them. But we are no better. In fact, to suggest this is God's judgement is to elevate homosexuality above all other sins (even though 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 places it in the same category of other, "lesser" sins, all of which are forgivable). I suggest the UKis just as sinful as Sweden. We in the UKand US abort thousands of children every year for no better reason than its social convenience. What is worse: a hate-law making criticism of homosexuality illegal, or aborting hundreds of thousands of babies a year? How, then, can Sweden's suffering be the result of God's judgement? Tell that to the Christian Swedes who died. Why haven't other nations been judged in the same way? It is nonsense.

Finally, how can one declare in the first place that this is God's judgement? How can someone speak on God's behalf with such unflinching confidence? There are natural catastrophes all the time; how can someone claim this is different, that this is God's judgement? Moreover, how can they be so certain to speak on God's behalf, even to the extent that they are able to explain the deaths of 2000 Swedes out of 150,000 victims? Such speaking on God's behalf is, to all intents and purposes, to declare oneself a prophet, the very mouthpiece of God (after all, this is what the word `prophet' means). Yet such a position is problematic to say the least. If what happened to Swedenis based on the promotion of homosexuality, then we are all in trouble. Canadahas already passed similar laws, it is expected that the U.S.will do likewise quite soon, and even in the UK recently a senior clergyman in Chester was investigated by police for suggesting homosexuals could change their sexual orientation.  You see, if we say Swedenwas God's judgement, then we MUST expect similar judgement for each of these other countries. But if it does not happen, God's `spokesmen' prove themselves to be nothing of the kind. Rather they are exposed as false spokesmen, or as the Bible terms it, false prophets. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy to blame numerous deaths on God: every time there is a catastrophe in a country, we can find something that country has done to displease God and state with certainty He caused the event. What of WW2, or WW1, or even the deaths during the Crimea? Do we seek to identify God's judgement in every catastrophe? It is dangerous to claim to speak on God's behalf. In fact, it is nonsense.

There is, without doubt, great sin in the world. I do not shirk from saying that Islamic fundamentalists have created untold misery for many Christians, and I sincerely believe God will judge the perpetrators and will vindicate His people. Scripture also teaches that homosexuality is a sin (though hatred of homosexuals or anyone else, including Muslims, is likewise a sin - God hates the sin, but loves the sinner). Sweden has certainly gone too far, even many atheists think so, and God will judge not be mocked. But to say that Christians, children and other innocents in Asia are suffering as a direct result of God's anger and judgement is nonsense. At a time when the West is giving unprecedented amounts to this ravaged region, demonstrating, despite our inexorable march towards secular humanism, some vestiges of our Judaeo-Christian heritage (even to the extent that Arab newspapers point of how they are failing their own religious compatriots, unlike the `Christian' West), why on earth are some Christians declaring this to be the judgement of God?  And if it is God's judgement, why are these same Christians giving to aid the relief? It is hypocritical to do so. Finally, if we say it is God's judgement we make a mockery of evangelism. If I, as a Christian, am gravely troubled by the idea that the tsunami is the judgement of God, how on earth, by publicly voicing such thoughts, can we possibly expect a lost world looking for answers to search for our God if we say He was the cause of the suffering of those children we see on TV, simply because of His judgement of a few? It is nonsense.

The tsunami has caused great misery. We as Christians must do what we can, despite the fact that some of the beneficiaries may even be Muslim extremists. To help one's enemies, to help and pray for them (Matthew 5:44-47), is what makes Christianity and Jesus' teachings so unique. Perhaps it is only through such humility that God, in some way, can be gloried by those who would not normally do so, that a greater good come about, and in some way that the situation causing such misery be used for His glory. Only God Almighty, the God of the Old Testament, of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, could possibly find a way to do so.