Difficult Questions

I'm sure that by now that we all have heard about the horrible tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma on Monday, May 22nd.  It was a disaster beyond which words can adequately describe.  It hits me especially hard because I am a storm chaser.  It hits me double because I am a Christian.  Why do these parts of me make it especially hard?  Let me explain.

As a storm chaser, I have a strong understanding of storms.  I understand the ingredients that go together that can produce storms of this magnitude.  Unfortunately we cannot predict exactly where these storms will strike and why one storm goes completely nuts like this while another doesn't.  We can, and did accurately predict the general area days in advance.  Still, people died.  Many were injured.  It is frustrating.


As a Christian, it becomes a little more complicated.  We have people asking why God would allow something like this to happen.  Why would little children be allowed to die such a horrible death?  It becomes further complicated when we have some Christians saying that this is Gods judgement upon us for our sinful ways.  These are hard questions and ideas. There are no easy answers. 


As a storm chaser, you look back at what could have been done differently to prevent loss of life and property in the future.  We look at our forecasting, trying to learn how to better predict such an event to give more time in our warnings and more precise predictions as to where they might occur.  We look at building construction, what can be done to better withstand such storms.  We look at shelters, and why people may not have them.  We look for ways we can get people to better respond when a warning is put out.

As a Christian, you have to look at those tough questions you might get asked.  How do you respond to a person who lost a loved one who asks you why this had to happen?  And how do you do so in a way that doesn't turn them away from God, but instead, draws them to the Lord? 

In both arenas I find myself in, the tragedy presents some very heavy issues.  I can look to the science to learn how to help minimize the affects of such an event in the future, and I can look to scripture to help me find comfort and strength in dealing with what has happened.

Romans 15:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.  I think that is what is appropriate at the moment.  There will be a time for dealing with the deeper issues. 

Ecclesiastics 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.