I listened to a young priest (who is a friend of mine) speak yesterday with a wisdom beyond his years. He was telling us how the head of the Anglican church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had said that the Tsunami disaster inevitably shook the faith of many people, and that this was a natural reaction.
His grace, the Very Rev. Rowan Williams, said in a homily, "Every single random, accidental death is something that should upset a faith bound up in comfort and ready answers. Faced with the paralysing magnitude of a disaster like this, we naturally feel more deeply outraged - and also more deeply helpless."
On the other hand, other leaders are saying that an event like this draws people into their faith more deeply. "I strongly believe that God is giving us this strength," said Catholic priest Nihal Nanayakkara of Sri Lanka, who has been working to provide shelter and aid day and night for survivors.
So which is the right response? Both are.
We all remember the story from Mark 6 about how the disciples were in a boat being tossed about by the elements. Jesus walked out to his disciples across the rough waters, and in his presence nature's dangers subsided. On the other hand, who can forget Jesus' response at Lazarus' tomb? His first reaction was not a display of supernatural power - it was weeping. This is the same Jesus who shouted out from the cross, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani! (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!)
This is the comfort of a faith who believes that God has a human nature; we are not left adrift on the sea of a completely inscrutable God who consigns us to a fate we may not deserve. This is a God who grieves with us, who knows our suffering, and comes to us to redeem us of it. He knows what it is to be us. He knows the despair of wondering whether we are next, and whether anything can stop it.
He is there for us, because he knows from his own human experience that we need him. Sometimes to save us - like the miraculous survival of a woman floating on a palm tree at sea for a week. But more importantly, he is there to give us strength - the power to go on when we haven't strength of our own to do it.
Thursday, January 6, 2005
Walking on water
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2 comments:
Interesting point. I've found that those who have a strong faith, it is strengthened at moments like this. They know that God hasn't deserted them and it makes them stronger. Those who have a weaker faith tend to ask why and lose faith.
For example. In the movie Dogma, the main character is "angry" at God because she can't conceive a child. It isn't until the end of the movie where she fully understands the scope. Every bad thing isn't God punishing us. And I think that that is the big distinction. God isn't punishing us by doing these horrible things to us. Bad things happen, to both the good and the bad.
A very insightful comment P.
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