Friday Night Theology

God's Presence in Haiti

22 January 2010

"You will not be forsaken."

These were the words of reassurance offered by President Obama to the Haitian people after last Tuesday's earthquake. He continued, "In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you." His choice of words, in echoing the words of Jesus on the cross, undoubtedly resonated with the public mood. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) America may not have forsaken Haiti, but what about God? Has Haiti been abandoned by God?

In the aftermath of tragedy, there's an order of events we have come to expect. Disaster strikes… reports roll… humanitarian efforts commence… questions regarding God and suffering arise. The Haitian earthquake has been no different.

While atheists take the opportunity to argue that suffering is proof enough that God doesn't exist, one prominent TV evangelist in the United States has suggested that the earthquake was God's doing. In his opinion, the disaster is God's direct judgement on the nation as a result of the deal they did with the devil in order to gain independence from the French at the beginning of the 19^th Century. Others have been quick to point out the prevalence of witchcraft and other occult practices in Haiti.

It's true that the Bible makes it clear that God will judge us and will punish sin (e.g. Romans 2:5,6). However, it also reveals him as a just judge (e.g. Deuteronomy 32:4). Natural disasters are not just; earthquakes do not deliver just punishment for sin. They punish some, while leaving others unpunished. God's judgement will be comprehensive and fair, not ad-hoc and detestable.

The reality of suffering is not ultimate proof that there is no God and suggesting that last weeks earthquake is God's judgement on the Haitian people is highly problematic. However, although at opposite ends of the spectrum, both these responses reveal the same disdain for doubt and desire to avoid unanswerable questions. That's the thing with suffering; it poses questions for which there are no simple of tidy answers. For many of us, that's scary and we don't like it. There is no adequate answer to the question, "Why did God allow an earthquake to devastate Haiti?" But that should not cause us to doubt God; instead that should cause us to recognise that we cannot understand everything, we are merely humans, and it should also cause us to ask the question: what would God want me to do in response?

The Bible reveals a God who is very much involved in the affairs of his creation. He chose to be physically present on earth, in the person of Jesus Christ, for just over three decades. However, when Jesus departed, he made it clear that his presence would continue, not only in the Holy Spirit, but through his followers. Paul describes us as God's representatives, his ambassadors (e.g. 2 Corinthians 5:20). We should reveal the presence of God in this broken world.

This means that the answer to the question, "Where is God while the people of Haiti are suffering so much?" in part, depends on where his followers are. To this end, there's much to be encouraged about. Thousands of people, both those who follow God and those who don't, have been spurred into action to help the people of Haiti. God is certainly present, Haitians have not been forsaken. God is working through his people.

Phil Green, Public Theology Research Assistant