By now, most of you know what happened in Haiti this past week – a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake just west of the capital, Port au Prince. The International Red Cross estimates about 3 million people have been affected by the earthquake, while approximately 200,000 people might have died as a result of the event.
After this happened, the infamous televangelist Pat Robertson said straight out that this earthquake happened because of the pact that the Haitians made with the Devil:
“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. [The Haitians were originally] under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you will get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it’s a deal. Ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other.”
Now those are some powerful words for someone who isn’t God.
Afterwards, Robertson’s network put out a press release trying to clean up some of the mess Robertson’s comments made, but the fact is, the mess was still made. No matter what “retraction” one might make, words said are just that – words said.
It’s fascinating that after an “act-of-God,” like many insurance companies like to call these natural disasters, one person after another tries to interpret the events through their lenses.
Even an op-ed contributor, Pooja Bhatia, in the New York Times interpreted the event through the eyes of faith and religion in the article, “Haiti’s Angry God,”
The day after, as the sun exposed bodies strewn everywhere, and every fourth building seemed to have fallen, Haitians were still praying in the streets. But mostly they were weeping, trying to find friends and family, searching in vain for relief and walking around in shock.
If God exists, he’s really got it in for Haiti. Haitians think so, too. Zed, a housekeeper in my apartment complex, said God was angry at sinners around the world, but especially in Haiti. Zed said the quake had fortified her faith, and that she understood it as divine retribution.
The fact is, we can spend hours and hours talking about what happened trying to be “spokespeople” for God, but the fact is, we aren’t God and we aren’t able to completely understand why this tragedy happened. We are one-dimensional, and maybe even two-dimensional at times, but God is so multi-dimensional, we can never fully understand his divine purposes. In other words, we think the event happened because of this, or because of that, but the fact is God’s ways and his thoughts are so much higher than ours.
I love the way Thomas Kempis puts it in his book, The Imitation of Christ,
If men used as much care in uprooting vices and implanting virtues as they do in discussing problems, there would not be so much evil and scandal in the world, or such laxity in religious organizations…
He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor.
Talk is cheap.
God is honored when we act. He is not honored when we pretend to be his spokesmen and place judgment on others.
I’m sorry Haiti – my situation doesn’t allow me to go and help, but I can with my money and my prayers – Here they are.
If you haven’t yet already, give to Haiti. Here is a list of 11 charities collecting money for Haiti.
Father God, I don’t know why you allowed that destruction upon Haiti. But I do know that you are ultimately in control and that your purposes will prevail. Please comfort those who are hurting and injured. Please comfort those who are mourning over their lost ones. And please comfort those individuals who can’t get in touch with their family and friends back in Haiti. I pray that you would grant them your peace that transcends all understanding. I pray Lord that your people would come together and care and extend your love to those in Haiti. I don’t know how you will do this, but I do pray that you would be glorified through this situation. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Hey Daniel,
What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I too have heard so many people attribute this tragedy to some kind of divine punishment, rather than respond with prayer and compassion.
Hope you are well.
-Sophie
Great article… Beautiful prayer *^_^*
Beautiful and to your prayer I say a big AMEN!
Thanks and blessings,
anewcreation
Hmmm… I don’t know how to respond to your article. I agree there’s a mystery about why this earthquake devastated Haiti in particular, the most impoverished country in the Western hemisphere. There’s a mystery but it comes off in your tone that you are looking down on Pat Robertson. It seems the gen public and many evangelicals find his interpretation repulsive.
I only find his lack of compassion repulsive (if he was indeed apathetic about it). His interpretation… hmmm… I wouldn’t eliminate it. Curses over nations are very real. Whether it was an occultic pact that Haiti made or their dabbling with voodoo, God has been known to pour out judgment on such nations. I don’t know enough of Haiti’s history to draw any conclusions. But I agree, we need to act and pray.
Don’t get me wrong. I definitely agree with u of the reality of curses in the spiritual realm. But I find that it is one thing to pray against those curses privately or in closed settings vs publicly saying that that is the reason. Especially when someone has that kind of influence. Who knows maybe he is right and that is the reason God brought that disaster upon Haiti but maybe he is wrong and has just hurt the cause of Christ rather than advanced it. As Christians I believe we need to respond with compassion and action rather than judgment
Really great post Daniel. I am often frustrated by the proclamations made by some very vocal Christians that are not biblically rooted, and that portray us as spiteful and without compassion and love. I’m in the Dominican right now, and thankfully we are far enough away from the epicenter that we only felt the quake very faintly. There are many many Haitians here however with family still in Haiti. Seeing their desperation to find out if their families are alive or dead, and seeing how so many organizations small and large are throwing all they can into transporting essential goods makes me realize how much these people and those involved in the emergency eforts need prayer, not scorn.
Thanks for the post Dan.