Hurricane Katrina: What is God Doing?
Psalm 147.15-18
I’m going to guess that some of you were in the same situation that I was. I
had heard that a hurricane was moving in from the Atlantic. I heard that it
had hit Florida, done some damage and then was moving on to the Gulf coast.
And I expected that it would do pretty much the same as it did in Florida.
But after it hit near New Orleans I kept hearing these reports that sounded
more and more dire. What was going on? And that’s the right question to ask.
How you answer it makes all the difference. I think most people would answer
that question by talking about high winds and lots of rain. But that’s only
part of the answer and not the most important part of the answer. A more
important part of the answer would be to say that Jesus acted. The Lord of
creation created this storm, with its violent winds and destructive rains,
and caused all the havoc that we have been hearing about. Because of His
decisions, there has been death and destruction and much pain and sorrow.
The question that I want to raise and answer is, ‘Why?’ ‘Why did our God do
this?’ At the heart of Christian maturity is a growing understanding of what
our God is like. This is an opportunity to take another step toward that
goal.
I have a couple of answers to the question ‘Why?’, but before I can get to
them I need to acknowledge that there are a good number of Christian people
who aren’t so sure that this storm actually was God’s doing. I am very
sympathetic to what they are feeling. Can Jesus even be a part of such great
evil, let alone cause it? That’s why I chose the text that I did. Jesus
commands even the weather, the snow, the frost, the icy rain, the cold. And
that even includes the wind that blows and the water that flows, things that
make up a hurricane. Our God caused that hurricane. He stands behind the
evil that we are hearing about. But none of this should be surprising. Our
God often uses evil to bring about good. The cross, which occurred
explicitly according to God’s plan, is the best example of that, a
tremendous evil that brought about a greater good. Our God caused the
hurricane. But remember that He caused it for good.
Now, why? Let me mention several things. They aren’t in any order of
importance. First, by this hurricane Jesus revealed something of His
character. Every day we look around us and see things that show us something
about our God. There is the wonder of a starry night or the beauty of a
flower or the tenderness of a mother with her newborn infant. These are
reflections of the character of the Lord of hosts. And we are greatly
comforted by them. But if all that we consider are these kinds of
reflections of the divine character our understanding of our God will be
unbalanced. It is good for us to also see the aftermath of a violent storm,
with large trees tossed about and once-solid houses completely obliterated.
This also is a revelation of God. Katrina revealed something of the power of
our Lord. It is so very true that Jesus is tender and compassionate. There
is a gentle patience in Him that is a wonder to behold. But He isn’t a wimp.
Too many people imagine a wimpy Jesus. Seeing the devastation of a category
five hurricane and knowing where it came from will quickly disabuse anyone
of any notions that our Lord is wimpy. He is a God of great power – a power
that is intended to evoke terrifying fear and tremendous comfort. Katrina
was a just little reminder of His power. We all would be wise to ponder it.
There’s another reason why He caused this hurricane: judgment. ‘He who is
often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond
healing.’ [Proverbs 29:1] Our God warns and warns and warns. He is so very
patient. But only to a point. Then comes justice. At that point, those who
ignored the warnings will be broken, completely and utterly. There will be
no hope of healing. Moses was clear. ‘Be sure your sins will find you out.’
[Number 32.23] And yet, so many think that they will be able to avoid the
justice that is due to them. They misinterpret Jesus’ patience. Some of
those who died this last week were consumed by the justice of God. They
refused to repent. They ignored the warnings. And so, they were broken
beyond healing. We see this happen often in the pages of Scripture. We need
to see that it also happens now.
Ironically, this expression of justice is also an expression of mercy. It
becomes a warning to those who remain alive. During His earthly ministry
Jesus responded to the news of a catastrophe by saying to the crowds,
‘Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’ A warning! The exacting
of justice for one becomes an expression of mercy for another. There are
many who need to hear this.
Here’s a third reason for this hurricane. This disaster becomes an
opportunity for the Church to shine with the Gospel. Jesus told us that we
are the light of the world. We are to shine with the good works that come
from faith in the Gospel. There are people right now who are in great need.
And Christians like us need to help them. Before you consider your part,
bear in mind that it may well be costly. It just may hurt. In 2 Corinthians
Paul writes about the gift of money that the saints in Greece were sending
to the saints in Judea who were in the midst of a famine. Paul comments
about some, ‘For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and
beyond their means…’ [2 Corinthians 8:3] Here were people who were
impoverished themselves, giving to help others. They gave beyond their
means. It was costly. But what was the goal? Jesus said, ‘Let your light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to
your Father who is in heaven.’ [Matthew 5:16] And one thing that brings
glory to our Father is the conversion of the lost. This is your opportunity
to shine with the Gospel. As you know, our denomination is organizing ways
in which you can help. I hope that you will seriously consider what you
should do.
What else is our God doing in this situation? He is putting faith to the
test. There are lots of Christians caught up in this mess. Was there some
sort of mistake that they were included? Did Jesus goof? No, this is a time
for the saints there, and elsewhere, to grow. Remember what we studied in
James. ‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various
kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.’
[James 1:2-3] Jesus can bring growth to the life of one of His saints in the
context of a worship service. It’s the gentle path to maturity. But Jesus
uses other paths also. Sometimes maturity is developed in the midst of
trauma. Devastating hurricanes are a time when Christians are put under
pressure. Life gets hard, really hard. And then that question is posed once
again. ‘Do you trust Me now?’ Sometimes a saint hears the question, ponders
it and then responds, ‘Lord, you know that I really do trust You, even now.’
And He is blessed with a further measure of maturity. Sometimes a saint
hears the question, ponders it and then responds, ‘Lord, I have to admit
that I don’t, at least not now in this situation. I’m sorry that I don’t.
Please help me to trust You.’ And what is remarkable – though not really –
our gracious Savior hears that prayer and blesses. Even though it was weak,
there was a true faith. But then there are those who answer the question
with, ‘I don’t believe any of this stuff any more. I’m outta here.’ False
faith was exposed for what it was –which actually makes true faith possible.
All of this is going on right now. The pressure is on in different ways. The
question is being posed, ‘Do you trust Me now?’ And answers are being given
by words and by actions. And the people of God are growing because of it.
One last reason for Katrina. By this storm Jesus is weaning you from this
world. We are too in love with this life, too tied to it. So may of our
hopes and dreams and desires are tied to the here and now. We define what is
good and bad in terms of the things that we can see. Our spirits alternate
between being ecstatic and being depressed because of things that are rooted
in this world. All of that is an obstacle to faithful Christian living.
Jesus was otherworldly, and He calls you to follow Him in this also. He
calls you to things that make no sense – if this is all that there is. A
Christian tied to the here and now may hear Jesus calling him to act, but it
’s a battle to obey because it just doesn’t seem to make sense. Obedience to
His call would put so much of what you have here and now at risk. And so,
you stumble. Jesus, graciously, weans us from this world. He reveals to us
the temporary nature of what is here and now. Listen to Paul. ‘For this
slight, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the
things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the
things that are unseen are eternal.’ [2 Corinthians 4:17-18] Those who will
serve Christ the best here are those whose eyes are securely focused there.
The true nature of here becomes clear when you see the things that you
thought so important completely washed away.
The events of this past week aren’t all that odd. The things that Jesus has
been doing through Katrina, He does every day, just on a smaller scale. If
you can see that in your own life then you are on your way to becoming even
more useful for the kingdom.
