DOES GOD HATE HAITI?
If you have listened to the radio in the mornings this week you will have heard a couple of clerics trying to answer the question as to why God allowed the terrible earthquake in Haiti. It is a question that people always ask on such occasions. The devastation and death toll is on an absolutely massive scale. One TV presenter correctly described it as being of “Biblical proportions”. It certainly looks as if the wrath of God has fallen on this country. This has led the American preacher and politician Pat Robertson to say these terrible things have happened because God hates Haiti!
Haiti certainly has a dreadful religious history. Over several centuries there has been a sad record of syncretism - mixing elements of all sorts of religions. Prominent in their history have been occult practices and the nation has been known for voodoo, sorcery and a form of Catholicism that has strong occult influences. It is also claimed that in their fight for independence from the French in the late 18th century the leaders of the nation made a pact with the Devil. This is why Pat Robertson has given the explanation he has. But will it hold up to examination?
No thoughtful Bible-believing Christian will believe that God is a Bystander in world events. We know that God does judge the nations - every nation. And we know that one day God will finally judge all the nations - and that must include Haiti. We know that nations rise and fall at His direction. But on what basis do we link this particular event to some specific aspect of God’s wrath? There have been even more evil nations than Haiti, and the most vile and godless dictators, who have not suffered such an awesome event. Haiti’s association with voodoo and the occult will be judged by God one day, but it is not for us to say that this earthquake was it. Jesus warned against that sort of thinking - Luke 13:4.
Such is God’s rule that every atom in the Universe obeys His behest and He knows every single movement of them all. So earthquakes demonstrate His rule, as does the flow of relief and assistance that is arriving in Haiti at this moment. And yet we have no right to claim to know why this earthquake happened at this time in Haiti. How can we explain this awesome event? There are so many things we cannot explain. For instance, why were more evangelical churches destroyed by Hurricane Katrina than casinos? Why was Cambodia not subject to some dreadful natural disaster after the massive killing of Christians? What we do know is that God rules and His wisdom is perfect.
This earthquake reminds us that the whole earth groans under the weight of sin and God’s judgement (Romans 8:20 & 22). The crust of the earth displays the tragic truth that this is a fallen world, just as cancer cells in our body and Dementia in our minds do. Creation is yearning for the coming of the Lord; for the revelation of the new Creation.
There is a sacred mystery about the events that have taken place this week, but we can learn three great lessons from them.
As Jesus taught us these events are calls to repentance. There is in them a warning about the brevity and uncertainty of life. We need to be ready to die. And in them there is a reminder of the dreadful nature of sin that produces real anger in God. God hates sin and His judgements are seen in the decay and damage that sin has produced in this earth. Oh that this message might sound out to all men, so that men and women might look to God for mercy and trust in Christ who pardons sinners!
There is hope in Jesus Christ. A new creation is coming. The world will be transformed and restored to its primal beauty and glory. Men and women will also be restored. The hope we have for all of this is based on the Cross. There Jesus died for all who would believe in Him. There is the demonstration of God’s love for mankind. And that love is as much for the people of Haiti as for those of England. What this earthquake reminds us is that we all need redemption. The good news is that God has provided redemption in Christ. Through Him our sins can be forgiven and we can be set free from the consequences and power of sin. Through Jesus we can be ready to die and prepared for the glories that are coming in the new Heaven and new Earth.