Earlier this week after learning about the horrific earthquake in Haiti, Brad and I were beginning our day with some small conversation over coffee. (yes, I do feel guilty that we are in our own little world sipping coffee while lives were permanently changed from this horrible horrible event) I started to make a statement about how my heart hurt over the event and how Haiti seemed like such a dark place. We then got distracted with who know what without finishing our conversation. Had we been able to finish, I would have shared why my heart hurt concerning the situation. One, being that of hope. Two, being that of dumb people claiming God caused or made this to happen.
First of all, after a year of heartache which I have shared openly about, I have realized that the only reason, I am even able to function is because I have hope. My hope is from Christ. period. I believe that there is more to life than what we experience and understand here in the present. I hurt for those that suffer daily and don't know of Christ and what life can look like once it is lived to the fullest with hope that only comes from Him. I pray that those suffering after this disaster have hope. I just can't imagine continuing on daily with out the expectation of something more.
I have also come to realize that many people do not know how to deal with the hurt and heartache that comes from grieving after the loss of someone you love. At some point in time, people have adapted to dealing with this loss by saying such lame comments like "their time was just up, they're in a better place, God needed his angel, Her work was finished here on earth...."....to all that crappy advice...shove it. Its just LAME. Once again, I do not believe that God says "boom. I'm taking Lynne Rendleman. Or wham, sorry Haiti, your finished." God does not work that way. We are all looking at the same end result for our life here on earth. Death. We are all going to die one day. Whether it is at 57 from an aneurysm, 16 from a car accident, 95 while asleep in your bed, or from a tragic natural disaster such as a hurricane, tsunami, or earthquake that gives no mercy to any age. This is a broken world, and there are broken things that happen as a result of that. God does not make these terrible things happen. It is condition that we are living with that makes this world the horrible place it is. Where babies have to live with diseases, people have to fight cancer, where we have to face the nagging question every day "why do bad things happen to good people?".
This is where hope comes in. This is why I hurt for Haiti, and my concern for it being a "dark" place. Is there hope present? Do they know they are a victim of a broken world not the vengeance of God? I pray they do.
These feelings, as strong as they are, balance on a fine line of turning into anger when I hear comments like those from Pat Robertson. It makes my stomach turn that there are people that claim Christ yet speak of a vengeful God that causes an earthquake to a happen basically to teach a lesson because "they made a pact with the devil." What is the purpose of Christ's death on the cross if God deals out consequences because of the things we do. It is not about what we do (good or bad) cause we do a lot....and none of it is worthy of the love of God. We are broken. Jesus died to change all that.
For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--Ephesians 2:8
I am struggling to give grace towards Robertson. He is making the case for Christ that much harder. People hate christians because of attitudes like the one he has shown. Donald Miller wrote some words dealing with this situation. Take some time to read. He is graceful in his approach to react towards words that are so harsh and hateful instead full of light, love, and truth.
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