Does God cause natural disasters?

Before you read this post, please first go and read 5 God Excuses to Avoid After a Natural Disaster (Thanks to Dave Meldrum for sharing.)

Through losing Zoe this is the lesson I have learnt.  There are no easy answers in the face of natural disasters, or tragedies. God did not cause the death of these people. Instead, he weeps alongside those left behind.

So how do we make sense of natural disasters? I believe the answer lies in the "Butterfly phenomenon". Essentially, the world is inherently chaotic, unbelievably complex. For us to be able to track each event, and all of its ramifications, is impossible, even with the most advanced computer.

Because we cannot comprehend the width, depth, height and breadth of the natural events around us, and the complexity of their interactions, we cannot predict, nor can we adequately explain, why natural disasters occur. What we can say is that God is not behind them.

God is not powerless, nor is he capricious. He is all powerful, and all good. However, he is MUCH bigger than we can comprehend. We cannot know why he has not chosen to supernaturally prevent the disaster, except to say (rather inadequately) that sin has warped the natural realm as much as it has our own nature and our relationship with God, and that somewhere therein, lies the reason.

So how do we respond? We do not give up, we do not accuse God, we do not turn our backs on faith, we do not condemn. This feels inadequate. We are not accustomed to being powerless, especially in this age of technology where we can control the very temperature of the air around us. To be reminded that there is something out there bigger and more powerful than we are leaves us feeling small, helpless, inconspicuous.... and we don't like it.

Instead, we respond in love, with tears. There can be no other response. We tread gently, we do not offer pat answers just to fill the space, we weep with those who weep, we mourn with those who mourn, we allow our hearts to be broken as Christ's is, we become Christ's hands and feet as we offer the comfort we ourselves have received from Christ himself. THIS is why Graeme and I continue to run Born Sleeping (or see our website), even though it is heart breaking, and impossibly hard at times.

For if Christians will not step up and be Christ to a weeping world, how can we expect the world to hear the good news that this tragedy (whatever it might be for you) is not the end; this is not all there is; this does not need to define who you are, that life in all abundance is still possible?