On Tornadoes and God – Part 1
May 2, 2008
On Monday April 28th 2008, 6 tornadoes touched down in VA causing 200+ injuries and damaging or destroying at least 140 homes. Suffolk, VA was particularly hard hit, but miracle of miracles God was merciful. Beth and John Catania found a wet, tattered, open Bible in their home. God miraculously had opened their Bible to Psalm 75:
We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.
You say, “I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge uprightly.
When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
Selah
To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak with outstretched neck.’ “
No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.
But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson echoed the miraculous provision God has done for her town:
“We have had some injuries. Most of them are minor, so in many ways, we are blessed”.
So, what type of “wonderful” God do we have here?
One who caused 200+ injuries?
One who caused at least 140 people to lose their homes?
One who wanted to show his power and might and majesty by bullying his creation? By destroying their homes? By showing them how frail their bodies are? By showing them that they are nothing but grasshoppers to Him and that he can take everything and anything from them at a moment’s notice?
If this God exists, He is nothing but a big bully in the sky.
Wouldn’t it be more wonderful for 6 tornados to hit a populated area and NOT cause injury or destruction?
Wouldn’t it be more wonderful to show God’s protection and grace in spite of the full fury of a tornado? Who then would be more powerful – the tornado or God?
At least no one was killed you say? That’s a small comfort to those who have to rebuild their lives and recover from their injuries, when a sovereign, omnipresent, omniscient God could have so easily protected his creation.
When you praise God for these types of tragedy, you are praising a glorified bully.
“Thank-you God for destroying my house and harming my body, I needed that!”
Just think if the wind had blown the bible open to the table of contents – Beth and John might have thought that God was telling them to read the whole bible.
If they close the bible, aren’t they undoing god’s work? LEAVE THE WET BIBLE OPEN! That’s what god wants!
I am blown away by people that use the bible to explain the weather. If supernatural forces control the weather, all the scientific knowledge regarding meteorology might as well be tossed out the window.
However, a wet bible outdoors might be a valid piece of evidence that there was rain. Maybe I will start leaving my bible outside to check the weather.
God wants us to turn to Him. He allows things to happen and our need for Him becomes more apparent in dire times. Have faith and believe.