On this long Labor Day weekend, many of us have mixed feelings not only because another summer vacation season is slipping away from us, and not only because it will now be back to school, and business as usual– but because of a churning monster named Gustav.
Seems like cruel irony that while the rest of the nation gets ready for a day off, Gulf Coast residents are being stalked with memories of Katrina, and the immediate work of preparing for the worst– while hoping for something better.
So who or what is Gustav, and his sister Hanna?
In legal terms they will be regarded as an “act of God,” along with other natural disasters that are outside of human control, and for which, no one can be held responsible (except, possibly, insurance companies).
But beyond the legal terms, how are we to regard a Gustav? Is he an incarnation of the Devil, the finger of God, or the mindless convergence of atmospheric odds?
Does the Bible give us any answers?
Am reminded of the great wind that was one of the disasters that broke the heart of a man once regarded as a model citizen and friend of God (Job 1:18,19). The story of Job– isn’t it ironic that his name sounds like work– shows us what Job couldn’t see. Satan was in the storm, allowed by God– to teach Job to rest in God when nothing made sense.
While the devil was in the first storm that took the lives of Job’s children, at the end of Job’s story, it is God who shows up in a second storm that brings Job back to his senses (Job 37:14-38:1).
My take is that, in the face of natural disasters, we can begin by accepting responsibility for our own thoughts– while acknowledging that, like Job, we cannot see behind the curtain of the natural world. We can also accept the possibility that in any disaster, a demon may be in the storm– even as God can also be working in the storm for good– without, necessarily, causing it.
In summary, see if this makes sense:
If we are tempted by Gustav or Hanna to conclude that the wind and the water are evidence that God doesn’t love us, that we have been abandoned by him, to fend for ourselves– even though we’ve tried to trust him– then the storm may very well be a temptation from our enemy designed to destroy us.
On the other hand, if even by the threat of such storms, we are reminded of our wrongs, our need of God, and of good intentions left undone– then maybe this is one more evidence of a God who can bring good out of the best and worst days of our lives.
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