It seems that tragedy has been at the forefront
of the news media the past few years. We have seen via television
the tsunami disaster in Asia, the effects of Hurricane Katrina,
the flooding here in West Virginia, the earthquake in Pakistan,
and the heart-wrenching mine fatalities. We hear virtually every
day about children being abused physically and sexually and sometimes
killed. As a mother, it is especially difficult for me to see
the devastating effects these disasters have on children.
Over the course of these tragedies, the questions
have arisen, "Where was God in all of this?" and "Why
did God let this happen?" My own children have asked these
kinds of questions, and I suppose it is a natural thing for them
to ask, since we've always taught them that God is all powerful.
Some individuals who have been interviewed in the media have gone
so far as to say that God directly caused this or that tragedy
to occur for some specific reason. God has been mistakenly blamed
for many things! How should we answer our children's questions
in regard to God's place during tragedy?
First, God created all things in the beginning
of time. Plant life, animals, and man were all created with the
ability to re-create on their own. Genesis 1:11 says that each
type of plant had seed within itself so that it could multiply.
In Genesis 1:22, God told birds and sea creatures to "be
fruitful and multiply." After God had created land animals
and man, He told man to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28).
Sometimes, a baby will die or be born with deformities. God does
not "take them" or "give" them physical problems.
Sometimes lack of a good diet or exposure to certain environmental
factors can be the cause of death or illness. Other times, heredity
plays a part. Sometimes, no one knows what causes a child to be
born with physical defects. Through His creation God also allows
weather to change and produce different conditions. Genesis 1:7
says that "God made the firmament and divided the waters
which were under the firmament from the waters which were above
the firmament." As God's creation now progresses on its own
and forces of nature combine and react with each other, bad things
can sometimes happen. Since the earth is so populated, humans
are sometimes hurt or killed because they live in an area where
a natural disaster occurs. Our children need to understand that
this is what happened during tragedies like the tsunami, Hurricane
Katrina, and the floods of West Virginia.
Next, our children need to be shown that some
tragedies occur because of sin. When children are murdered or
abused, God is not at fault. Satan is at fault. God created us
with the ability to choose right or wrong. Some children are born,
through no fault of their own, to mean and evil parents who choose
to mistreat them. Some children have simply innocently crossed
paths with an evil person who chooses to do them harm. Proverbs
6:17 lists "hands that shed innocent blood" as one of
the seven things that are an abomination to God. Those who do
these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians
5:19-21).
Last, some tragedies occur simply because of bad
choices. When someone chooses to drink alcohol and then drives
his car and kills himself or someone else, the blame does not
lie with God. When a person chooses to have ungodly sexual relations
and ends up with a sexually transmitted disease, the responsibility
rests with that person. The soul, even more than the physical
disease, needs to be cured. We are responsible for our choices,
and we and our children must learn to take responsibility for
our choices and actions instead of blaming God.
Finally, teach your children that God is good,
as Psalm 106:1 teaches. God does not strike out at this or that
person with punishment as he did in Old Testament times. "He
makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45).
Tell your children that, no matter what tragedy
may come their way, if they are prepared to meet their Creator,
death will be the beginning of life. Read to your children about
heaven where there will be no more disasters or death (Revelation
21 and 22). 3049 Tyler Highway, Sistersville, WV 26175.