A One Two Punch on the Way?

It was a mere eleven days ago that Cyclone Nargis raced through Myanmar, leaving tens of thousands dead in its wake. Now the United Nations has issued a warning that another major storm may be headed for the devastated region. The UN weather center which is tracking the developing storm (presently off the coast of Thailand) is saying that the storm may become "a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours". Just what the survivors of Cyclone Nargis need to hear! IF this storm develops into a major cyclone and IF its track takes it across the same region of Myanmar (two "ifs" that may or may not happen) - this would prove to be a catastrophic "one-two" punch for the people of Myanmar!

The suffering that these people are going through (and the suffering of the survivors of the destructive earthquake that just hit China) lead many to dismiss the existence of God. After all, if there were a loving and powerful God, then wouldn't he keep these bad things from happening? Therefore, because bad ... horrible ... catastrophic things like cyclones and earthquakes continue to happen, this is proof that God does not exist (at least not an all-powerful, all loving God).

The existence of evil and suffering in the world and what it has to say about God has been a issue that has been discussed from the beginning of time. But what we must understand about evil and suffering is this: when God created the world, the world was perfect. In his original creation there was no evil, no suffering, no death. Death (and evil and suffering) all entered our world through one man whose name was Adam (read through Romans 5:12 and following). When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3), this marked the entrance of suffering into God's created order. In effect, the world we now live in is NOT the world God intended for us to live in. But thanks to OUR rebellion against God (see Isaiah 53:6) our world is now broken, fallen - or as I like to say, "temporarily out of order." One future day, when Jesus Christ returns to establish his eternal kingdom, this world will be made new (see Revelation 21:1-5 - this is why I say our world is "temporarily out of order").

So bottom line, don't blame God for all the suffering in this world. Rather, look in the mirror and you will see who is to blame. It's you. It's me. It's Everyman!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj