No doubt you have seen the reports of the massive earthquake/tsunami in Japan. When these terrible things happen, I always think of my friend Susan. She is deeply religious and totally determined to save as many human souls as possible from eternal damnation.
As things get worse and worse in the world, she thinks that we can see Jesus' prophecies coming true and it will not be long now before God steps in and brings an end to our old sinful World. But is this really an act of God?
In the English language “an act of God” is a legal term, which is used to define natural disasters, which happen with no human intervention and are completely outside of their control. Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides – and tsunamis like the one today in Japan - all of these are examples of natural disasters, causing environmental, financial and unfortunately human losses… If it is an act of God, what does it mean – the divine scourge for our sins, a reminder about the supreme power, or it is just one of the imminent components of the universe order, which keeps the scales between Good and Evil in balance?
As things get worse and worse in the world, she thinks that we can see Jesus' prophecies coming true and it will not be long now before God steps in and brings an end to our old sinful World. But is this really an act of God?
In the English language “an act of God” is a legal term, which is used to define natural disasters, which happen with no human intervention and are completely outside of their control. Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides – and tsunamis like the one today in Japan - all of these are examples of natural disasters, causing environmental, financial and unfortunately human losses… If it is an act of God, what does it mean – the divine scourge for our sins, a reminder about the supreme power, or it is just one of the imminent components of the universe order, which keeps the scales between Good and Evil in balance?
WHY?
Maybe an act of God is just an extreme chance for people to respond in their turn with an act of Man and prove that mutual help and support, sympathy and kindness, self-sacrifice and love still remain at the core of the human soul. The deeply wounded Japanese people will brace themselves for more suffering when the actual toll of the disaster surfaces, but I am certain that they will work hard and come back stronger than before with a little bit of help from us all.
Red Cross Disaster Fund:
http://www.redcross.org.uk/disasterfund/?approachcode=68861_DFjapmar
Maybe an act of God is just an extreme chance for people to respond in their turn with an act of Man and prove that mutual help and support, sympathy and kindness, self-sacrifice and love still remain at the core of the human soul. The deeply wounded Japanese people will brace themselves for more suffering when the actual toll of the disaster surfaces, but I am certain that they will work hard and come back stronger than before with a little bit of help from us all.
Red Cross Disaster Fund:
http://www.redcross.org.uk/disasterfund/?approachcode=68861_DFjapmar
4 comments:
The God I believe in, were He to feel the need to intervene in our affairs, would do so kindly and not so destructively. Bad things happen; it is up to us to make a difference and help those caught up in it.
Hi Antonella, hope you weekend is starting well.
One of Zeno's friend is working in Japan and we have no news from him yet. Luckily our friends in the Philippine are all fine.
What happened is awful, but to me it's not an act of God. The God I believe in is kind and good. Natural disaster happens. And sometimes us humans "help" too (i.e.: all the floods cause by global warming).
Baci & abbracci.
Did you wake up to snow too? :)
@ Steve & Kia: I used to think of a good and benevolent God too. But if He were so, would He really allow these awful tragedies to happen? Would He really be a mere spectator of us suffering and dying? I agree, it's up to us to make a difference, with ot without God. Have a nice week. Ciao. A.
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