IN THEORY
Q: Why does God allow such horrors as Hurricane Katrina to happen?
A: I remember in 1988 when a devastating earthquake claimed 50,000-plus lives in Armenia this question was repeatedly asked of me by my parishioners.
Ever since, I've been sensitive to its call in the face of calamity; this year in particular following the tsunami and now hurricane Katrina. Why would a loving and caring God allow pain and suffering?
This would be a legitimate question to ask if we thought of God as the Grand Puppeteer in the sky who plays us as pawns in the everlasting chess game of life. But for us as Christians, the model of and definition of God is much different. We understand God as love. Love is all-powerful, but not in the superman sense. He can't change the course of mighty rivers nor can he bend steel with his bare hands.
We live in an imperfect world. It is plagued with hurricanes, earthquakes and violence. These things we define as manifestations of evil. By the same token we define the outward acts of charity, care and benevolence as manifestations of good. We therefore find the presence of God in these acts.
We find him in the compassion and care that the world is now extending to the hurting children. Look for him in the hearts of people, who are writing checks, leaving their homes to work in the streets of New Orleans, reaching out to help others. Ask not the question, "why evil?" but, "why good?" And you'll find God, as the source of something much more powerful than the tragedies of this world.
FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN
Armenian Church
in context
"Why does God allow" anything is not the right question. The truth is, it's a jungle out here, and it has been ever since Adam and Eve were tossed out of the Garden of Eden. There are numerous interpretations of the Genesis stories, but the "spin" I personally put on the Adam and Eve story is that once we (in the persons of Adam and Eve) were ejected from the Garden, we became subject to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune regardless of how strong or how weak our faith.
During the time of Jesus, some tower fell down with lots of injuries, and the disciples tried to ask Jesus why that tragedy happened to those who were hurt. Who sinned, they wanted to know. Jesus really didn't answer that question, saying something like, "My Father sends the sun and the rain on the good and the bad alike."
There really is no satisfactory answer other than, "That's life!" People make the mistake, believers and nonbelievers alike, when they assume those trying to live a Godly, righteous life and sober life are somehow going to "get out of jail free," are somehow going to live a life free of pain.
The truth is, if you are going to live in hurricane country, you are going to be subject to what hurricanes do. If you are going to live in earthquake county, as we in Southern California do, you are going to be subject to what earthquakes can do.
Of course, it is sad when people suffer, from Hurricane Katrina or a terrorist bomb. But the post-Garden of Eden world in which we live offers us no guarantees, whether we are the purest saint or the vilest sinner.
THE REV. C.L. "SKIP" LINDEMAN
Congregational Church of the Lighted Window
United Church of Christ
La Cañada Flintridge
We live in a wonderful world that has its perils at times. When I was a youth I lived in the Midwest and dodged floods and tornadoes. When I was middle-aged, I lived in Florida and endured hurricanes and tropical storms.
As a senior citizen, I live in California, where earthquakes, tidal waves and fires occasionally take place. Is there any place without peril? I doubt it. Do I regret my choices of where I have lived? Of course not! I have always been in my perfect place.
Does God bring about horrors such as Hurricane Katrina? Of course God does. God is in charge of the universe, after all, and hurricanes have their place in the whole scheme of things. Hurricanes, science says, are needed to take pressure off the planet. Does God order certain folks to live on dangerous coast lines and in "lower than sea level bowls?" No. God does not order anyone to live in any particular place. God simply gives us a world and invited us to enjoy it and make the most of it. Where we live is our choice.
It all comes down to choice. We have a choice to either accept world citizenship or voluntarily choose not to live on the world God created. Most of us are willing to accept both the risks and the delights of being a citizen of this wonderful world.
"Horrors" such as Hurricane Katrina are primarily opportunities for the human race to come together. That is what is happening now. There is good in every situation -- if one looks far enough to find it -- and much good is taking place everywhere in the hurricane-stricken areas. So, let's all look at the positives and not dwell on the negatives and know that this, too, shall pass.
THE REV. THOMAS E. WITHERSPOON
Unity Church of the Valley
La Crescenta
How can peaceful waters suddenly become so cruel and not differentiate between a soda bottle and a beautiful child? Words cannot properly describe the loss of life and immense destruction we witnessed this past week.
In the face of devastation so great, words are meaningless and hollow.
When natural disasters strike and claim the lives of innocent people, the very core of our humanity is stunned. Believers and nonbelievers alike share a common realization that something is gravely wrong. The world has gone awry. Human beings are once again asking the eternal question of "why?" Why, God, why?
The truth of the matter is that God has never answered this question. We turn to the book of Job dedicated to suffering of the innocent. In its final pages, God informs Job that there is no way the mind can logically understand suffering. When it comes to human misery, there is no answer that will satisfy the question of "why?"
What do we do now? The answer to this question is straightforward. Act!
Do everything you can to help your fellow human in pain. Anything and everything should be done to alleviate the suffering. We don't know why the suffering occurred. But we sure can make it easier to bear. Turn to your fellow human being; open your heart, stretch out your hand and offer help.
Get on the Internet and donate generously. Help for the sake of goodness alone.
In such a time of desperation we must stop asking "why?" Our question instead should be: how can I heal a broken heart? How can I help an orphaned child? How can I rebuild a shattered city?
RABBI SIMCHA BACKMAN
Chabad Jewish Center
Glendale
God has created a wonderfully self-contained world that waters itself, replenishes, and teems with thriving life. It is set in motion with laws that govern weather, the creation of mountains and holds His creatures to the ground.
Yet man builds cities at the base of volcanoes, on the edge of fault lines and below sea level near gulf coasts. It's unfortunate when nature and man face off resulting in us who are left mourning loss, but it seems only in these momentary tragedies of magnitude are people reminded to even consider God's existence.
Oblivious, they fail to consider the millions that die in car accidents, from disease and from whatever else regularly befalls the temporary residents of this planet. Death is a fact of life but that's no comfort, and when it gets too close, people look up. People want God to interfere with nature (or evil) when it suits them, but to keep His hands to Himself the rest of the time.
Some suggest that disaster is God's judgment. The Northridge quake struck the porn capital of our country. New Orleans vies for the dubious distinction of murder capital. Yet countless innocents get caught up, including family members from our church. Hundreds of Christians and their pastors might have perished in the Katrina catastrophe, so we're left to wonder.
God does make His appearance, however, through the caring response of His faithful. He also makes his existence known in the conscience of all people who are repulsed by the devastation and believe it only "right" to help. God makes it all meaningful because with Him tragedy is never the end.
Jesus Christ healed, fed and helped the needy, and he was the very "image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Wonder about the heart of God? Look to Jesus, and respond to Katrina as He would.
THE REV. BRYAN GRIEM
Senior Pastor
Light on the Corner
Montrose
When God finished creating the Earth and every living creature, He rightly pronounced it all "very good". In His goodness He provided for Adam and Eve's needs through the perfect functioning of nature. He even gave them access to the tree of life that they might live forever.
But God also gave them one simple command with a warning. If they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would introduce death and futility into the paradise He had created for them.
After Adam and Eve broke God's one law He said: "Cursed is the ground because of you ..." (Genesis 3:17). I believe that natural disasters like hurricanes, floods and earthquakes are part of this curse, under which we all suffer to this day.
I don't believe the destruction of New Orleans happened because those folks are any worse sinners than we are. We have all sinned against God. God in His goodness invites us all to take shelter from the coming storm of His righteous judgment by trusting in His Son, Jesus Christ. "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6).
So this is not the time to point fingers at God, or even at our government. It's time to dedicate our best efforts to help ease the suffering of so many, "... for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works ..." (Ephesians 2:10).
PASTOR JON BARTA
Valley Baptist Church
Burbank