Nature or Acts of God?

Superstorm Sandy is gone. As one of the fifth worst hurricanes in US history, she left behind more than 100 deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage. The blame game has begun – some believe the hurricane was a result of global warming. Others believe it was “an act of God” – a statement that could suggest God was responsible or it was merely an act of nature.

Scientists tell us that the winds in a hurricane are caused by air near the ocean rushing inward to replace air that's rising in the storm. The earth's rotation gives the incoming air a counterclockwise spin. A hurricane grows weaker when it moves over cool water or over land, which cuts off the supply of warm, humid air, which is the storm's energy source.

Just like wind, rain and even earthquakes, hurricanes are necessary acts of nature. If nature is not allowed to do its thing, various ecological imbalances would occur. So, just as we protect ourselves from rainfall, we must protect ourselves from other acts of nature. Thankfully, science has advanced to the point where we know when to expect some acts of nature.

At times, science is unable to accurately predict natural disasters. For instance, in Italy, two scientists resigned their posts with the government's disaster preparedness agency last week after a court in L'Aquila sentenced six scientists and a government official to six years in prison. The court ruled that the scientists failed to accurately communicate the risk of the 2009 quake, which killed more than 300 people.

Thankfully, we got adequate warnings about Hurricane Sandy. Some American economists were even predicting the financial cost of the damage before the storm hit. Because we cannot influence the course of nature, the very best we can do is to prepare ourselves adequately to cope with nature.

However, if we build our houses near the mouth of a volcano, we should not complain when it erupts. The same thing is true when we drain wetlands or redirect the course of rivers in order to build our palatial homes.

When God placed human beings on earth He commanded us to take care of the earth – to dress it and keep it (Genesis 2:15). In this way we can be at peace with our environment. However, because of greed and selfishness we often ignore God’s warning and suffer the consequences.

Because of advances in science we are not only able to predict the course of nature, we are able to cooperate with the course of nature. In order to avoid flooding, we implement adequate drainage and erect lakes to compensate for intruding into natural habitat. On the other hand we see the consequences of reckless deforestation. This is what results in uncontrolled flooding and soil erosion.

The truth is – the practice of blaming God for the reckless choices we make is unfair. It is not logical to expect God to interfere with things that would violate the purposes of His creation. It is also illogical to expect God to thwart the consequences of our actions. The Bible clearly states, “we reap what we sow” (Galatians 6:2).

Thankfully, God is merciful and He often allows greater good to arise from our disasters. Apart from the opportunities for nature to replenish itself, God provides opportunities for us to care for victims of nature. For instance, within twenty-four hours of the hurricane, there was an overwhelming display of generosity across America.

Stories of compassion are flooding the media, despite the dominance of political rhetoric. The presidential candidates recognized the value of showing care and severely curtailed their campaigns. When Americans go to the polls tomorrow, they will be looking for compassionate leaders. The candidates know this and used the crisis to demonstrate care.

Just the size and force of Hurricane Sandy serve to remind us all that there are some things in life that are bigger than we are. Every wise person within the path of the hurricane took heed. Affluence, influence or status did not matter, we all submitted to something bigger than ourselves. Activities and priorities were rearranged.

In his book, An Act of God?, Dr. Erwin Lutzer reminds us that “historically, the church has always responded to tragedies with sacrifice and courage.” During the third century, Tertullian recorded that when pagans deserted their nearest relatives in the plague, it was Christians who stayed and ministered to the sick.

As nature rejuvenates itself we need to ensure that we prepare ourselves to avoid human tragedies. However, when tragedies occur, others need to rise to the occasion as philanthropic Americans do.