Although in the Old Testament there are instances in which God punished sin through natural disasters, this perspective is neither supported by other portions of the Old Testament or by the New Testament.   An earlier Old Testament idea implies that a Godly life prevents hardship.  If a person is good, kind, loving, prayerful, and worshipful, then he or she will reap the blessings of God and nothing bad will happen to him or her. Most people remember Noah and the flood in Genesis.  Noah, a righteous man, is told by God to build a boat that will save his family and the innocent species of the world from a flood sent to destroy the unrighteous people. This story and others similar to it lead people to conclude that natural disasters are God’s punishment for bad behavior, retribution for sin.

But look further in the Old Testament and we find that suffering comes to the righteous and unrighteous alike. The 73^rd Psalm, and other similar Psalms, point out that righteousness does not protect one from disaster.  In the book bearing his name, Job’s home is destroyed by a tornado yet the text says he was a “righteous man.”   Job’s good behavior was not a shield from the natural calamities that affected the world around him.

In the New Testament, Matthew 5:45 states that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends the rain on the just and the unjust.”  Given these scriptures from the Old and New Testaments, it is hard to make the case that natural disasters are punishment for sin. With these words, Jesus seems to disconnect sin from the forces of nature.   Jesus is describing that God and all that he created is present for the just and unjust alike. God’s love is not whimsical or conditional.

Though some may try to make the case that the earthquake was God’s judgment, I would like to think that there is another way to look at this tragedy altogether.  When the apostle Paul was on a mission trip, he encountered a great earthquake (Acts 16:25-33) which destroyed the jail cell in which he was living.  After the event, Paul’s jailer and the jailer’s entire family became Christians.  Others became followers of the Christian way as well.  The earthquake became an opportunity for him to witness to his faith in Christ.  He took the terrible and turned it into a triumph, through Jesus Christ. Paul turned what is unquestionably an event that was tragic into an opportunity to share the love of God with others, inviting them to have the hope that God provides. Perhaps this earthquake will be an opportunity for contemporary Christians to share their faith as well.  This will be a time when we will reveal our truest character through our words, prayers, and actions. We can respond with judgment.  Or, we can be a Christian witness through mercy ministries, prayer, and finding ways to show God’s love.  Which will it be?

As we all know, the culture often celebrates this season in absurd ways. At the very least, people are encouraged to over buy and over eat. If the past is any indication, the media will probably pick up a story about someone taking this holiday to a consumerist, secular extreme. Perhaps they will be hailed for their enthusiasm. As Christians, we should be more introspective. It isn’t necessary for us to reject the culture outright because as John 3:16 states, “God so loved the world.” It is, however, important for us to be inwardly and outwardly on a different path. Reason tells us that if we seek God we will find Him. When we “come to” know Him, we will be challenged to not only love God, but also our fellow human beings (1 Cor. 13). We show love to our fellow human beings by performing acts of mercy and kindness during this season. If we are equipped and able, we can roll up our sleeves and take up the challenge of assisting CCAP with the Christmas distribution on December 21 and 22. We can also perform these acts by assisting the youth with their outreach through TOPS (Budget Motel). Or, we can give blood, sing carols at the Rose home, send a letter to a soldier, or use our own creativity to find ways to show Christian love during this time. All of these are things we can do to celebrate advent and Christmas in holy ways! They will help us be a light to the world during this season. Grace and Peace, Pastor Will

Sometime back there was a news article about an organization called Depressives Anonymous. It banned several people from their organization–because they weren’t depressed enough. I guess there are worse things than being banned from a group because you are not depressed enough. On the other hand, maybe some of those people who were banned from the group felt so bad about it that now they are qualified for re-admittance. Who knows? Some people have difficulty with the task of being happy.

Could it be that many people also have real difficulty feeling a sense of gratitude?  In the familiar story of the ten men with leprosy who were healed by Jesus, only one gave thanks to the Lord. What happened to the rest? Too busy? Perhaps. Too self-occupied? More likely. Could it be that a few of the nine didn’t feel all that grateful?

There are people who have unlimited resources and won’t even pretend to be Thankful on Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, there are people in small huts in South America and Africa who offer a sincere prayer of gratitude to God each and every day for the little they do have.

During John Wesley’s student days, a poor porter knocked on Wesley’s door. It was a cold night, and Wesley suggested that the porter needed a thicker coat. “This is the only coat I have,” the porter replied, “and I thank God for it.”  Wesley asked the man if he had eaten and the porter answered, “I have had nothing today but water to drink, but I thank God for that.” Wesley was deeply moved by the man’s sincerity and he said to him, “You thank God when you have nothing to wear and eat. What else do you thank God for?”  The simple man replied, “I thank God that he has given me life, a heart to love him, and a desire to serve him.” After the man had left with a coat from Wesley’s closet, some money for food, and words of appreciation for the witness he had made, Wesley wrote something like this in his journal, “I shall never forget that porter. He convinced me there is something in religion to which I am a stranger.”  It seems to me that attitude and perspective are the keys.  What can you smile about at Thanksgiving?