Where is God in all these diasters?

Where is God in all these disasters?
by John Madeley

An earthquake in Indonesia, a tsunami affecting Samoa and Tonga, a
typhoon hitting Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, devastating
flooding in South India, severe drought in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Hundreds of people dead, tens of thousands displaced. Suffering on a
massive scale. It all happened in a week in late September this year.

What is going on? Where is God in all these disasters? Why doesn’t God
intervene to stop them? These are fair questions. The meaning of
suffering is difficult for us to answer, but what we do know is that
God gives a free will. In that sense God is vulnerable to our choices.
If we chose to exercise that free will in a way that is damaging for
others, and for ourselves, God does not stop us.

God gives us freedom, to choose the right or the wrong path. If we
choose the wrong path, it will grieve God’s heart, but God does not
stop us, does not act like some giant policeman in the sky. God the
Son died on the cross 2000 years because people decided he should die.
They exercised their free will. God did not stop them. The world is
not God’s puppet theatre.

God guides us to use our free will in accordance with his will for us.
But if we ignore it, if we turn away from God, if we abuse natural
resources, then consequences may follow.

We should stop calling disasters “natural disasters”. Severe floods
and droughts, hurricanes. typhoons and cyclones are occurring at twice
the rate of 40 years ago. They are not as natural as they seem, they
are more related to the way we live than they appear. Disasters are
increasingly related to climate change, to emissions of carbon, to the
world’s heavy use of energy. And that includes our use of energy.

A few years ago, Christian Aid published a report entitled “Unnatural
Disasters”. It said that rich nations such as Britain were condemning
poor countries to an "ever increasing number of overwhelming
humanitarian catastrophes".

Climate-related disasters, which kill thousands of people and cost
millions in terms of providing aid to stricken populations, are
manmade and should no longer be termed natural disasters, it said.

But what about earthquakes? 98% of people who die in earthquakes die
not because of the earthquake itself, but because buildings collapse
on them. They are related to poverty. On tsunamis, we know from the
2004 tsunami that here nature's barriers were intact - mangroves
forests along coast lines for example - there was far less damage. New
tourist hotels, shrimp farms etc had caused many to be removed.

Where is God is these disasters? God is with those who suffer. And God
is with us, calling us to be more responsible stewards of the
beautiful wold he created.

What can we do? At the very least we can support the 10/10 Initiative
- cut our emissions of carbon, our use of electricity, gas, oil, by
10% by the end of 2010. Cutting our emissions is vital if our
children, our grandchildren are to have a future. It’s vital if
children women and men in poor countries are to have a present. Where
is God in all this? God is working in us.

Based on a sermon given at Caversham Heights Methodist Church on 4th October.

Appeal for funds for Kenya crisis

The Methodist Church and Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) have confirmed the initial amounts of financial aid they are sending to Kenya to support those suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict.

MRDF is sending £6,300 directly to local partner RCDG, based in Nairobi’s Kibera slum district, one of the areas worst affected by the post-election violence.

Samantha Tuck, East Africa Programme Officer at MRDF, explains “A major concern is that those on anti-retroviral treatment for HIV can’t get to clinics for drugs. They have to take those drugs with food, but cannot get that either. RCDG is ideally placed to deliver direct assistance to some of the most vulnerable and seriously affected people. With an MRDF humanitarian grant they will get medical care, food and bedding to 200 members of the community. We are pleased to have their help in channelling funds straight to where they are most needed.”

Further MRDF response will be made through ACT International, which is providing survival essentials for displaced people living in camps.

The Methodist Church in Kenya has called for £25,000 to help them support those suffering because of the widespread violence. The Methodist Church in Britain is sending £10,000 straight away, but is appealing for donations to cover the remaining need.

Kevin Fray, World Church Africa Secretary, says; “The situation in Kenya is very hard to comprehend, but what we do know is that people are in desperate need of shelter and aid. At the moment, the best support we in Britain can offer is through our prayers and donations.”

Donations to MRDF’s appeal for RCDG and ACT International can be made by credit card on 020 7224 4814, or by cheque, payable to “MRDF (Kenya emergency)”, posted to MRDF, Methodist Church House, 25 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 6JR.

Donations to the Methodist Church’s appeal for the Methodist Church in Kenya can be made at http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=1493.

Taxpayers are encouraged to Gift Aid their donations where possible, adding a value of 28p on to every pound they give, at no extra personal cost.

CHURCH LEADERS CONFRONT KENYA’S VIOLENCE

Kenya’s Christian leaders have spoken of continuing intimidation and the trauma of the country’s post-election violence that has caused many to be living in fear. Shem Okello, general secretary of the Baptist Convention of Kenya, said hundreds of people are still sheltering in police stations. Spurgeons Child Care Kenya reported that 14 of its mostly AIDS orphans had seen their homes torched. ‘Gangs of angry young people are threatening to burn the school’ where Spurgeons is caring for them, it said. While the Opposition Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga is calling for the President to step down, both the Archbishop of Kenya and the Kenyan-born general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Revd Samuel Kobia, have called for an urgent recount and investigation of the voting dispute. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has also been meeting with both political parties in church-backed moves to resolve the crisis.

Sources: Baptist Times (10/1); Church Times (11/1); The Times (7/1)

Urgent call for Prayer for Kenya

This morning I received this urgent call for prayer, and once again I urge you to join me in prayer for these desperate children of God.

"We are all in-doors, roads are blocked between Eldoret and Marakwet and between Elodret and Nairobi. Whoever is travelling travels at his/her own risk. People are staying all over and at either side.

Killings are going on in Eldoret, mainly the Kikuyus because they say they stole the votes for Raila and gave to Kibaki. People are desperate. Lives and properties are lost. Towns are in disarray. Goods are double or thrice in prices if you can find them in the village.

It is harvesting time for Mangos but there is nowhere to sell them, therefore it is rotting and perishing in the farms. The people of the valley will really suffer because that was the only source of income per year. It is a shame to see thousands of money being lost and the economy of the land going down hill in a high speed just because of voting to the wrong candidate. Please pray because food is going to be the main problem.

Pray for safety on our roads so that people will return back to work .
Pray for people owning Matatus to release them to the road."

Methodist response to the crisis in Kenya

Anthea Cox, Coordinating Secretary for Public Life and Social Justice says “The violent turmoil in Kenya following the disputed election results has come as a shock. As one of Africa’s most stable democracies and most developed nations, Kenya’s crisis was difficult to foresee. The Methodist Church of Great Britain is closely watching the situation so that it can respond as appropriate.”

Kevin Fray, World Church Area Secretary for Africa, says: “The situation over the next few days will be very precarious. Our partners in the Methodist Church of Kenya (MCK) will be playing a vital role in helping to restore peace and stability. Their endeavour must be matched by our practical and spiritual assistance.”

During 2007, the World Church Office sent more than £150,000 of Methodist Church funds to support the mission of the MCK.

Kevin Fray continued, “When deciding how best to respond, we will be guided by the MCK. Once we can establish communication, we will be better placed to understand and share the need. In the meantime, we stand alongside all who strive peacefully for a just and fair solution to this tragedy.

“We also call upon others to join with us as we remember Kenya in our daily prayers and church services.”

Teach me your word, O my Lord,
That I may walk in your righteous path,
Narrow and trying as it may be.
Give me grace to claim and love it as my own.
Hold my hand and never let me go.
Till in Zion I finally lay it all down.

Taken from a prayer by Margaret Wanjiru Kithinji, Women’s Fellowship Secretary, Methodist Church of Kenya
Day 8 (page 22) of the 2007-8 Methodist Prayer Handbook.

Source: www.methodist.org.uk/news 4/1/2008


I am sure that I do not need to ask, because you will all want to join me in onstant prayer for the people of Kenya and for their relatives and friends in other parts of the world who anxiously watch the TV pictures and long not only for news of their loved ones but for the restoration of peace in this beautiful country.