Natural disasters, like the recent flash floods in Nepal, leave devastation in their wake, but they also reveal the Church’s calling: to respond with courage, compassion, and the hope of Jesus Christ.
At the end of August, the world watched in horror as entire villages were swept away in severe flooding and mudslides in Nepal. As of today, more than 1,350 people have been declared dead, and thousands are still missing.
The devastation is undeniable, as is the heartbreaking truth that these events occur around the globe every year, including in the United States.
I live in Nashville, which has been hit with some severe tornadoes in the decade I’ve called Music City home. A few years ago, one ravaged the neighborhood surrounding the church where my husband is a pastor. When we drove around the area afterward, all I could do was offer a breathless prayer: “Lord, have mercy!”
In spite of the suffering wrought, these situations also present an opportunity for the Church to serve its neighbors and proclaim the eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ.
“Not-So-Natural” Disasters
We call these events “natural disasters,” but the reality is that these tragedies are anything but “natural.” When God created the heavens and the earth, He proclaimed all of it good (Genesis 1:31). Nevertheless, after mankind’s fall into sin, all of creation became corrupted, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:22, NKJV: “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”
Every natural disaster reminds us that we live in a fallen world — that mankind’s sin irreparably marred the world’s original perfection.
Mankind’s Sin, Not Man’s Sin
In our humanness, we want to understand why we suffer, and we often want to blame someone or something. This inclination might lead us to see correlations and want to establish causation — for instance, thinking that a nation or group of people is being punished by means of the natural disaster.
But we need look no further than the words of Jesus Himself to know this line of thinking isn’t biblical.
Luke 13:1–5 relates an exchange between Jesus and His disciples. He’s informed of a group of Galileans whom Pilate had murdered while they were offering their sacrifices. In response to this news, Jesus said,
“‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’”
First, Jesus answers their implied question by refuting that both groups died because their sin was greater than other people’s. And then, in typical fashion, He turns the issue back to those who presented the information, warning them that they should repent, lest they meet a worse fate than those who’d died a temporal death: eternal death and condemnation.
A similar exchange occurs in John 9:1–3: “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’”
Once again, Jesus dispels the notion that we can make a direct connection between a tragic effect and a sinful cause. Beyond this, His words reveal an even more profound truth: the man was born blind so Jesus could miraculously heal him, thus reinforcing His divinity and dominion over creation.
God Is Near to the Brokenhearted
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). Our knowledge is limited, so it’s impossible for us to see all the possibilities of how He can bring triumph out of tragedy. Even with our finite understanding, through faith we can trust that He’s able to bring good out of any circumstance.
Not only this, we know that God is with us in every trial and tribulation, including natural disasters. Psalm 34:17–18 says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” In the midst of and in the aftermath of a disaster, God promises to hear our prayers of distress and stay close to us.
Psalm 46:1–3 speaks specifically to the way natural disasters can affect us:
“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.”
Although the psalmist might be speaking metaphorically in these verses, they can certainly apply to literal roaring waters and shaking mountains. In those moments, like the psalmist, we can declare that the Lord is with us, and therefore we need not fear.
A Witness to the World
As in any crisis, the way that Christians choose to act during natural disasters can demonstrate our faith. We can respond with steadiness instead of panic, generosity instead of selfishness, and hope instead of despair.
Of course, our response should include direct involvement in disaster relief as well. We can deliver food and water, clear debris, offer shelter, donate money and essential items, and assist local churches and organizations that are supporting our community.
In addition to these tangible, hands-on activities, we can provide listening ears — simply being present with people who are hurting, in the same way that Job’s friends sat in sackcloth and ashes with him after tragedy struck. We can pray for all impacted by the disaster and for those who are helping with relief efforts.
Disaster response is a practical way we can love our neighbor, but it can also serve as a public witness. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, “‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’” Just as Jesus used the tragedy of a man born blind to bring glory to God, we can do the same in response to natural disasters.
Amid any crisis, the single greatest act of service we can provide is to share the “reason for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15): the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of the world.
Temporal and Eternal Needs
Immediate needs must be met during a disaster, and the process of rebuilding communities can be long and arduous. However, only Jesus can ultimately restore the world to its originally intended perfection.
We eagerly await His return, as does the entirety of creation: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:19–21).
Our hope as Christians doesn’t deny the reality of suffering — it asserts that suffering can serve a godly purpose, and that suffering isn’t the end of our existence.
Hope Shines in the Darkness
In the days since the flooding in Nepal, news stories of death and destruction are juxtaposed with stories of miraculous rescues. A team rescued a 97-year-old woman from the rubble of her home, and many other people were still being found alive weeks after the flood.
These kinds of stories emerge after almost every natural disaster, reminding us that even in the darkest moments, hope can shine through the fissures of the anguish. We can act on this hope with compassion, serving and praying for our neighbors.
And no matter what happens to us here on earth, we can do as we’re admonished in Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Jesus Christ remains sovereign over all of creation, and one day, He’ll return to make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Amanda C. Bauch is an award-winning writer and editor of numerous bestselling books. Alongside her pastor-husband, she’s raising a son and a daughter in Nashville, Tennessee. You can read more about her passion for service and God’s truth in her book, One Nation Under God: 40 Devotions for Patriotic Women.
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