When the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, I heard God did it because it was a holiday when Hindus were worshiping the ocean god. When the hurricane hit New Orleans, I heard God did it because they tolerated Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras. When the earthquake hit Haiti this week, I heard God did it because their ancestors made a deal with the devil 200 years ago.
When disaster struck Jerusalem, here’s how Jesus responded:
“Those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:4-5)
This isn’t a time to look for specks in others’ eyes. It’s a time for us to pull out the logs in our own, give to solid organizations (like our sister church in Port-Au-Prince and others arriving soon to minister there), and pray that God will sovereignly intervene in the man-made disaster that preceded the natural disaster – so that those who survive in Haiti don’t soon suffer the same fate as their neighbors.