The past three weeks have been a disruptive experience as we all seek to recover from the impact of the tornadoes that struck Alabama on April 27. This past Sunday after church, my wife and I drove through Pleasant Grove and Concord. The devastation is hard to fathom. We are used to seeing amazing special effects in movies, but this is REAL. The impact on both individuals, families, and their communities will be long lasting. Seeing the number of people, particularly from the Christian community, jump in to help out is quite encouraging, though. I thought I would write a bit about some of the issues raised in events such as this.
The emotional harm that can be brought on by such events cannot be overlooked. The physical damage is obvious, but the unseen impact on some people can be just as devastating. I will write at some length in the days ahead about the psychological impact that can come. In the short term, it is important for people to be able to talk about their experiences as well as the emotional impact. It is helpful to realize that others are suffering as well, and that you are not alone in how you are responding. It also helps to have the community rally together in mutual support. On the other hand, people need to be able to get away from it. In this day of the internet, it is easy to be overwhelmed with information. Even someone who was not directly impacted by the storm needs to be wary of spending too much time focused on it. Children can be overwhelmed by over-exposure to images and discussion about the tornadoes.
From a Christian perspective, one can often hear "why did God allow such a thing to happen"? As I look around at the overwhelming force of the winds, I find myself thinking how grateful I am that it wasn't much worse. When I see individuals giving of their time, abilities, and resources to help others recover, I see the hands of God in action. Harder to acknowledge is the conviction that it is also just as easy to ask "why shouldn't this happen" as Scripture is quite clear that in our fallen state, we are in rebellion from Him and have no right to bring any complaints before Him. We don't like that answer, and this is why much of the world seeks to deny the truth of Scripture, that we are sinners in need of a Savior.
The book of Job is appropriate reading at times such as these. Job's friends try to say that it is the sin in his life that has brought the calamities upon him. Job resists this interpretation and wants to bring his complaints before God. He gets his moment, but God's response is to ask Job some questions. We do well to review this passage and understand that God is sovereign and it may be difficult to always see His plan...
...but do not miss the point: God DOES have a plan. He works all things out in accordance with His will. It is our job to look to Him, seek His forgiveness, protection, and care, and desire obedience which includes taking care of one another. I see so much love being poured out by people as we try to lift each other up through the aftermath of this tragedy.