Does God hate Haiti?

Pat Robertson, who is an evangelical commentator on a program called the 700 Club, recently made some very eye-raising comments about the recent earthquake in Haiti. If you haven't heard already, Pat Robertson feels that Haiti's current suffering is a result of "a pact that country made with the devil in 1791." I want to tell anyone who visits this blog, is a regular on this blog, or is just stumbling upon this blog as a result of a Google search that most Christians, including myself, very very vehemently disagree with Mr. Robertson's approach and comments. The answer to whether or not God hates the country of Haiti can very confidently be answered in an emphatic and adamant NO; the answer to whether or not God loves the country and people of Haiti can be responded to in an enthusiastic and empowering YES, indeed He does. Rev. Albert Mohler, who is a man much more eloquent than myself, recently posted an article on this subject that describes my feelings on Haiti to the letter:

Does God hate Haiti? That is the conclusion reached by many, who point to the earthquake as a sign of God's direct and observable judgment.

God's rule over creation involves both direct and indirect acts, but his rule is constant. The universe, even after the consequences of the Fall, still demonstrates the character of God in all its dimensions, objects, and occurrences. And yet, we have no right to claim that we know why a disaster like the earthquake in Haiti happened at just that place and at just that moment.

The arrogance of human presumption is a real and present danger. We can trace the effects of a drunk driver to a car accident, but we cannot trace the effects of voodoo to an earthquake -- at least not so directly. Will God judge Haiti for its spiritual darkness? Of course. Is the judgment of God something we can claim to understand in this sense -- in the present? No, we are not given that knowledge. Jesus himself warned his disciples against this kind of presumption.

Why did no earthquake shake Nazi Germany? Why did no tsunami swallow up the killing fields of Cambodia? Why did Hurricane Katrina destroy far more evangelical churches than casinos? Why do so many murderous dictators live to old age while many missionaries die young?

Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God's perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts -- there would be no hope.

The earthquake in Haiti, like every other earthly disaster, reminds us that creation groans under the weight of sin and the judgment of God. This is true for every cell in our bodies, even as it is for the crust of the earth at every point on the globe. The entire cosmos awaits the revelation of the glory of the coming Lord. Creation cries out for the hope of the New Creation.

In other words, the earthquake reminds us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only real message of hope. The cross of Christ declares that Jesus loves Haiti -- and the Haitian people are the objects of his love. Christ would have us show the Haitian nation his love, and share his Gospel. In the midst of this unspeakable tragedy, Christ would have us rush to aid the suffering people of Haiti, and rush to tell the Haitian people of his love, his cross, and salvation in his name alone.

Everything about the tragedy in Haiti points to our need for redemption. This tragedy may lead to a new openness to the Gospel among the Haitian people. That will be to the glory of God. In the meantime, Christ's people must do everything we can to alleviate the suffering, bind up the wounded, and comfort the grieving. If Christ's people are called to do this, how can we say that God hates Haiti?

If you have any doubts about this, take your Bible and turn to John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That is God's message to Haiti.

The best thing that we as Christians can do for the country of Haiti is to prayer for the quickest recovery possible and for the relief efforts. We can pray that this tragedy will bring the Haitian people closer to Him. The one thing we should not do, however, is pretend to know the mind of God and say that this is His judgment on Haiti.

The fighter still remains...(Quote of the Week)

*Photo from Cinderella Man

Though it is a secular song, some of the lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkel song "The Boxer" are very profound. "In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down and cut him until he cried out in his anger and his shame, I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains."

You see, the fighter never gave up, even though every obstacle that was thrown his way made him want to, for sure. Another interesting facet to this song is that the fighter hypothetically only had his own strength to rely on. We as Christians don't have to rely on our strength. We can and should "cast all of our cares on Him, for he cares for us." (I Peter 5:7, paraphrase). Praise be to God that we have a friend closer than a brother and that we can do that!

The Greatest Gift of All....

As we reflect on the holiday season that has just passed and the new year that is upon us, we would do well to remember what is really important during the holiday season and throughout the year as well. A dear friend of mine---actually my wife's grandmother---asked me a rather thought-provoking question: What was the FIRST Christmas gift? She said that a lot of people did not answer right, and interestingly enough, I stretched my mind trying to determine what the gifts of the three wise men were in order to answer her question. Finally, I said that I believed it to be the "gold, frankincense, and myrhh given by the wise men."

"That's a good answer," my wife's wise grandmother replied, "but not the correct one. The answer is that Jesus Himself was the first Christmas gift."

Wow! When one realizes the magnitude of that statement and the implications it is truly eye-opening and humbling. Three areas then become important:

1) The materialism and commercialization of Christmas becomes much less important to the believer.

After realizing that Jesus truly is the "Reason for the Season", so to speak, then everything secular becomes less important. What is important is thanking God for getting us through another year and most of all, thinking Him for Christ's sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary.

2) Doing good for others becomes more important to the believer.

Visiting shut-ins, helping the homeless, volunteering in a soup kitchen, stocking the food pantry, helping those who cannot the commercial aspect of Christmas, and helping ring the bell for the Salvation Army become more important for the believer as a ministry during the holiday season. The reason? It can and does expand the testimony of the believer to the Salvation that is in Jesus Christ. We must all bear in mind that we never what good things and good works we do for others might have eternal value, because as James states, "faith without works is dead." (James 2:17)

3) Letting your light shine becomes more important to the believer.

As Christians, we need to be people of peace, love, and joy. During the Christmas season and the rest of the new year, we must exhibit the fruits of the spirit in all that we say and do and pray for God to help us in these areas as well. To all who are reading this who are Christians, I pray God's blessings on you this new year and that He will use in a mighty way!