We are called to be compassionate witnesses every single day. Love wins not ignorance!
It's such a lame Christian witness—it's such foolish presumption when a Christian or a Christian leader publicly says that any natural disaster that results in wounded or dead people is God's judgment on them due to the sins committed by a group of forefathers from yesteryear. Doesn't this misrepresent the Kingdom they profess to serve in and just give the Church another black eye. Doesn't this worthless blah blah just fill the scripts of late night comedians in our culture with more fodder to mock and scoff at? It's so sad when some so called leaders aren't learning from past mistakes in this area!
Did our lovely Jesus do this sort of thing? No!!! Isn't it high time for many in the church to get back to the Bible and to the caring Spirit of Christ? Indeed, it's time to board the clue bus!
When forgiven and non-forgiven people perish together (or are about to die under rubble..) due to a natural disaster, the real Church of Jesus Christ should be the first to arrive on the scene with shovels in hand to dig and pray the living out.. to comfort, to feed, to listen and to lend a practical and healing hand.
Does it prove that anyone is a great and true prophet to point a finger or to affix blame in such a situation where more will soon die?
This kind of whacko jive comes off as so heartless to a watching, listening world! It's bad ambassadorship!
It is simply non-verifiable! How does this type of thing even help the hurting, the hungry, the grieving or anyone for that matter to see God's broken heart for the lost? He doesn't desire to see anyone go to Hell nor does He send people there for the sins of others (See 2 Peter 3:9). God's judgment.. "it must begin first among God's own children" (1Pet4:17nlt) instead of with others.
Bottom-line: people in and out of the church will act according to what they really believe, so it is radically important for us to believe what is true (especially all Christians and leaders). We are to weep with those who weep not throw more stones at them! HELLO!
"My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken." ~Jeremiah 8:18
"My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart's desires are broken." ~Job 17:11
"I weep for the hurt of my people. I am stunned and silent, mute with grief. Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why is there no healing for the wounds of my people?" ~Jeremiah 8:21-22
Personally, I've found.. even had to learn the hard way.. that when I've said my peace and taken care of my own business for the day, it's then time to go to bed ..instead of saying or doing any more.
"There were present at that season some who told Him [Jesus Christ] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, '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.'" ~Jesus, Luke 13:1-5.
I just love those words in Lukes Gospel (above). Christ wasn't talking about the results of some earthquake or natural disaster here but just the same.. there is an eternal truth from His words that is transferable to our day.
Back in the day, the Galileans could get pretty hotheaded at times. It really bugged em to always be under the wicked Roman rulers, so historically most of the revolts against the Roman government came from the region of Galilee.
People were telling Jesus about some of the Galileans that were more than likely involved in an open revolt of sorts against Rome, and about how Herod then ruthlessly sent some soldiers to quell this "problem."
The soldiers arrived as the Galileans were in the process of making an offering sacrifice to the Lord, but the Roman soldiers killed em right there on the spot. What a sight; their blood was mixed in with the blood of their own sacrifices. This was heinous but to the Jew this was especially horrific!
It's too often that Christians and other people blow it when something uber-tragic and deadly happens in our sin-cursed world. They often make the mistake when something happens to a person or to a group by calling it God's wrath or "judgment on those sinners."
They easily figure "Man, those evil people are finally getting exactly what they deserve."
Perhaps individuals making these statements of accusation merely desire to be ..or to be considered as keenly insightful. Dunno, but Christ is flat out putting this thought pattern and concept down low where it belongs. Jesus asked and answered, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no.."
When Christ's answer is a very clear "No" like that, then none of us today should think like this either.. especially out loud and publicly where people can get the wrong idea about Christ's entire Church. Callous Indifference and mean-spirited blame won't win people.
Without love we are nothing! The Bible warns, "Some prophets are nothing but windbags. The Lord hasn't spoken through them, so let what they say happen to them" (Jer. 5:13, gw).
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