God, Cyclones, Earthquakes and the News

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

In the latest mini-post I referenced the death and destruction that have occurred in Burma and China in the last few days. As of this date the AP reports that in Myanmar as many as 128,000 have died and over 2 ½ million have been severely impacted by the cyclone which devastated that region on May 3^rd of this year. In China, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck the  central part of that country this past Monday. The death toll is now estimated by the Chinese government to reach as high as 50,000. Fox News reports a Chinese government official as stating that over 4 million homes have been shattered in the region of the quake.

 

These are staggering numbers. The news media reports these events as geologic or meteorological occurrences, but this only addresses the mechanics of how the event happened. For example, an AP story in the May 15^th edition of USAToday.com reports on the China earthquake this way:  earthquake this way: Yuji Yagi, a seismologist at Tsukuba University, said data show the 155-mile Longmenshan Fault tore in two sections, the first one ripping about 7½ yards, followed by a second one that sheared 4⅓ yards.

But is this the message that you are to tell your children, that these poor people just happened to be in the way of a random geologic episode and had their lives turned upside down by chance? What part does God play in all of this, if any? In the next several posts we will consider how to talk about such events, that dramatically shape the lives of so many people.

First, examine with me how the perception of “God and news” has changed over time.

In 1866, James Parton observed, “The skilled and faithful journalist, recording with exactness and power the thing that has come to pass, is Providence addressing men."

Daniel Boorstin records the story of a Southern Baptist preacher before the Civil War who used to say when a newspaper was brought into the room, “Be kind enough to let me have it a few minutes, till I see how the Supreme Being is governing the world.”

Charles A. Dana, a respected American editor with the New York Sun in the 19^th century said, “I have always felt that whatever the Divine Providence permitted to occur I was not too proud to report.”

The above quotes are from Daniel Boorstin’s book, The Image, which I recommend to you. Boorstin goes on to say that these thoughts represent a very old-fashioned way of thinking. It is no longer politically correct to associate God with the news of the day. Low pressure centers form and produce hurricanes and tornadoes. A fault line slips and an earthquake happens. In a world which refuses to allow for the actions of the God of the Bible, life hangs in the balance of random chance. This view is pervasive and impacts you and your children, whether you realize it or not. Instead of assuming the providential control of God, the relevance of God—any god—is assigned by the media to memorial services occurring after the fact.

The perspective we learn from the God of the Bible is quite the opposite. Colossians 1 speaks of Jesus Christ holding all things together—all things. Whatever happens in this world, as Christians we must start with this fact. This will provide stability for your children. As we examine this together, give some thought to how the events of daily life are portrayed by the news media and our culture. Put yourselves in the place of your children. How do they hear about current events, both good and bad? What are the sources of their information? Then think about how these various sources deal with God and his control of the world we live in. Do your children hear God presented as an observer, a bystander, or is he even thought of at all?

In the next post we will consider what the Bible has to say about God and current events.

Comments

[Berta Myers]

This is a very good and important point. It seems that with the increased knowledge God has given us about scientific principles, we all think that since we know HOW something happeneded,we have more control over it and God has less. It is a hard mind set to fight on every front, I think. In cases of individual illness, it is easy to think in terms of probability and cell death instead of God, I struggle with it constantly in my own life, and know that I communicate my own confusion to my children. It is hard to get away from believing in "the scientific method" if that is the religion with which you were really raised.