With the horrors of recent hurricanes, two theological
points come into play: creation itself and the issue of theodicy: of God and
human suffering. Theologians refer to
natural evil, an arena where “free will” and evil do not fit together well.
Only a few zealots see natural disasters as an act of God designed to teach us
a lesson through punishment. How could a hurricane possibly be seen as a
condign punishment for sins in such a sweeping natural calamity?
Natural disasters push us to consider how we view God’s
power. Many of us think about God’s power as being exercised over events and
individuals as distinct decisions, one at a time. We want a divine mastery and
control over creation that does not seem to be operative. In other words, we
make our view of power as control over events and expand it scope in the divine
realm. Creation has a wide space for blessings and banes. God seems to opt for
sharing power and empowering, instead of making the world some sort of cosmic
theater of divine arrangements.
When it comes to creation, perhaps other views make more
sense. As Terence Fretheim says of Genesis 1: “God created a world as good, not
perfect.” First, creation itself seems to be better viewed as interlocking
systems at play, a complex field of forces operating. Second, creation is
ongoing; the divine project is not yet complete. That is why we look toward a
new and different future. Third, god works through the processes of creation.
Miracles are called miracles as they are exceedingly rare c occurrences in our
field of vision. God’s future is an open one, full of risks and possibility
within a vast array of vectors.
Jon Levenson seizes on the idea of chaos and creation at continuing
odds. Creation is still untamed often. St
Paul called death the last enemy (Rom. 8:18-25, I Cor.
15:26.) Death and life continue to collide within the great scope of creation
(Job 38-41). God’s creation is full of risk and uncertainty, given the myriad
of forces that impinge on its sustaining through time. We are not the measure of all things, as God
continues to be hard at work for all creation. Human beings are not the sole
measure of creation.
At the same time, is God impassive, somehow above what
happens in this creation called good? While the orthodox answer has been yes,
others have challenged it. Bonheoffer wrote: “only the suffering “God can
help.” If God is love (I John 4) then is that a love beyond what we would know
as sympathy? Abraham Heschel reiterated that God’s relationship to us and to
all creation includes a passionate commitment. That passionate commitment is
seen in sympathy and compassion. For Christians it reaches both its nadir and
exemplar in the crucifixion. Yet, in the resurrection, life, not death has the
last word.
In the end, the Christian hope is not inevitable progress.
It is the horizon of a new creation where the forces of chaos and death are
finally placed under God’s as yet unrealized goal of life. Of course, that
horizon serves to make our present condition even worse by comparison.
In the face of natural evil, we are called to the work of
compassion, healing, and recovery. We neither blame victims for their plight,
nor celebrate those who survive as meriting special divine favor. The NFL player JJ Watt demonstrates the
gospel more than Jim Bakker finding divine judgment and shilling for his own emergency
products on his program. We are made not only as co-creators with God; we too
are called to help heal this world. The brave offering help to the stricken are
doing the work of God.
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