Acts of God

i've been considering my comments regarding the tsunami in southeast asia for several days. they are summed up by job: the lord gives and the lord takes away. blessed be the name of the lord.

we see the suffering thousands and ask how a loving God could allow this to happen. should we not rejoice at the millions who were spared? given the number of people who live in southeast asia, a death toll of 150,000 - 200,000 from a 9.0 magnitude earthquake is small. small in the way that 2,752 people dying in a terrorist attack on twin towers that typically hold more than 50,000 is small.

obviously we mourn with those who mourn; we grieve at the brutal end of life and we reach out to help those in need. these things are good and right. the tougher thing is to look at an almighty God and not ask why, why not, or what the fuck? it’s a natural human response in such a situation; however, scripture tells us that this is wrong -- where were you when the foundation of the earth was laid? the common response is to chalk this up to the mystery of God.

i think there is a better answer -- an answer that lies in recognizing God’s mercy in the millions who were spared; an answer that lies in recognizing all 6 billion of us draw the breath of life that God breathed into us. so i say, blessed be the name of the lord.