Earthquakes, suffering, and the question “Why?”

Things have been tough in Asia recently. As if the situation weren’t bad enough after the huge earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, a major quake occurred in Myanmar last Thursday. One can only imagine the suffering that many people are experiencing.

I haven’t yet heard anyone say that these earthquakes are God’s punishment on Asia, but I suspect that some people will make this conclusion. Remember how quickly people suggested that Hurricane Katrina (2006) was God’s judgment on New Orleans and its depravity? Remember how some in the Christian community said that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were a result of America’s moral failings?

Jesus’ words in John 9 should make us very cautious about connecting instances of human suffering with specific sins. This chapter contains the account of Jesus’ healing of a man born blind. The whole account is fascinating, but for our purposes today, verses 1–3 are most critical:

As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life’” (NIV).

Suffering was and is sometimes the result of sin (Galatians 6:7–8), but not always. The assumption in biblical times, as it sometimes is in our time, was that all affliction was brought on by a person’s own wrongdoing or that of someone connected to him. Jesus tells us that in the case of the man born blind, his blindness wasn’t anyone’s fault. Instead, the man had been born blind so that “the work of God might be displayed in his life.” The rest of the account reveals that God’s work was displayed in this man’s life.

We should keep in mind that only God knows the exact reason for many instances of human suffering. It is true that all suffering is ultimately the result of the presence of sin in the world, and one day, when God removes all sin from the world and redeems the creation itself, there will be no more suffering (Romans 8:22–23; Revelation 21:1–4). Until that day, though, let us pray for those who suffer, specifically that God’s work will be displayed in their lives. We can do this no matter how God would answer the question “Why?”

— Beau Stanley

A joy that earthquakes can’t destroy

By now you’ve surely heard about the terrible tragedy that continues to unfold in Japan. Last Friday, a huge earthquake and the resulting tsunami brought tremendous devastation and a king-sized nuclear problem to the Japanese. What the people of Japan are experiencing is profoundly sad—so sad, in fact, that it’s tempting to push the whole situation out of our minds.

But I can’t and won’t allow myself to forget the Japanese. In my reflections, I have been thinking about this question: is it wrong for us to enjoy relatively petty things like the NCAA tournament when people in Japan are suffering so greatly? More broadly speaking, is it wrong for a man to take joy in life when others face severe tribulation?

It seems to me that paying attention both to the “when” of joy and the “how” of joy is crucial if we are going to answer these questions. Paul explains in Philippians 4:4 that we are to: “rejoice in the Lord always” (NIV). When are we to rejoice? Always. How are we to rejoice? In the Lord.

Consider first the “how” of rejoicing, that is, the manner in which we rejoice. It is very possible to take joy in something like the NCAA tournament with complete disregard for God or callousness toward the Japanese. On the other hand, it is very possible to take joy in the NCAA tournament with a heart of thanks toward God for the game, the skill of the players, the fun of the bracket contest(!), and so forth.

The “when” of joy is the other part. When Paul says “always” here, he really does mean always. We should be joyful even when earthquakes strike. We certainly shouldn’t take joy in an earthquake itself, but we should take joy in the midst of the earthquake. In this case, we can take joy in the kindness that others display to the Japanese. We can take joy in the spiritual sensitivity that the tragedy will bring about in all corners of the world. We can even take joy in totally unrelated pleasures the Lord has given us, like watching a basketball tournament.

Coming back to our original questions, it is not wrong for a man to take joy in life when others face severe tribulation; in fact, it is holy, but he must take joy with the right perspective. Join me this weekend, if you will, in praying for the Japanese. Please also join me, though, in enjoying the tournament with an attitude of thanksgiving to God.

— Beau Stanley