Disasters, Wrath and Mercy

Writing on tsunamis and other similar catastrophes, John Piper has written, '[t]he point of every deadly calamity is this: Repent. Let our hearts be broken that God means so little to us. Grieve that he is a whipping boy to be blamed for pain, but not praised for pleasure. Lament that he makes headlines only when man mocks his power, but no headlines for ten thousand days of wrath withheld. Let us rend our hearts that we love life more than we love Jesus Christ. Let us cast ourselves on the mercy of our Maker. He offers it through the death and resurrection of his Son.

This is the point of all pleasure and all pain. Pleasure says: “God is like this, only better; don’t make an idol out of me. I only point to him.” Pain says: “What sin deserves is like this, only worse; don’t take offense [sic] at me. I am a merciful warning.” '

Piper correctly summarises accurately one of the emphases of the Holy Scriptures about disasters. When Jesus was told about Jewish zealots who were killed by Romans for their insurgency He added the example of the tower of Siloam falling and killing some people saying that these examples of disasters called His hearers away from passing judgement as to the righteousness or otherwise of those that had died. Rather, these happenings called them to repent: "Unless you repent, you will likewise perish" (Luke 13:4).

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