Act(s) of God Luke 13:1-5


Hurricanes and flooding in Texas, Louisiana, St. Martin, Barbuda, and Florida.  An earthquake off the coast of Mexico.  Tornadoes in Texas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Georgia, Illinois, and other places.  Hail storms in Minnesota, Colorado, and Wisconsin.  Lightning caused wildfires in Wyoming and Arizona.  All natural disasters that have happened this year.  Unfortunately, as men and women walk through the devastation left by some of these events, they will, either knowingly or unknowingly, making a poor theological statement.  Natalie Barry in Texas, Danny Gibson in Georgia, and Janet Swenson in Minnesota will be among many who consider these events and label them as “acts of God.”  Their employment gives them no choice but to make this theological assertion, regardless of their beliefs.  They aren’t preachers, though…they are insurance agents.  Somehow, somewhere along the line, someone decided that the best term for destruction caused by a natural disaster was to label the event as an “act of God.”
While insurance agents do not have a lot of choice in their legal terminology until a change is made, there are some who do have a choice, and they, either directly or indirectly, suggest that these natural disasters are acts of God being used to punish folks for their sin—many of them serving as ministers in churches around our nation.  A couple of weeks ago, a radio evangelist, Kevin Swanson, blamed the destruction of Hurricane Harvey in Houston as a result of their “pro-homosexual mayor.”  He also suggested a couple of days ago that God would put a stop to Irma if the Supreme Court would ban abortion and gay marriage.  Jim Bakker declare Hurricane Harvey’s flooding was somehow God’s judgement on America…of course he also suggested that the eclipse was God plunging the world into darkness because of Obama’s eight years of presidency.  Almost twenty years ago, a premier televangelist, much loved by so many people, predicted that Orlando was in danger of being wiped out by a major hurricane for flying gay pride flags…and the following year, in 1999, we saw Hurricane Floyd at one point being just two miles per hour short of a Cat 5 heading straight for Orlando, then take a sudden right turn and come straight up into Eastern North Carolina and then through Eastern Virginia where that televangelist was located.
I am not going to outright say that they do not know their scripture, but if they cared to read the words of Jesus in the Word of God, in particular, Luke 13:1-5, they might rethink their theology:
“At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.  Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’”
Here the disciples are coming to Jesus and saying, “Hey Jesus, did you see what happened to those Galileans?  That had to be an Act of God, right?  God judged them for being filthy Galileans…that’s what God does to all sinners…judges them and brings death and destruction to them, right?”  Jesus turns to them and says, “Guys, you’ve been with me all this time and you have to ask that?”  Those Galileans were no worse sinners than those in Siloam when the tower fell and killed them.  It was not an Act of God either…the death of the Galileans was an act of Pilate, not an act of God…and the falling of the tower was most likely an act of poor construction, not an act of God.  Jesus said, “the thing is, there are some who were sinners among those that Pilate had executed and some sinners that died when the tower fell.  They died in their sin, never experiencing the forgiving mercy of God...and unless you turn and repent of your sin, you will perish in just the same way.”  In other words, Jesus is saying, as he did elsewhere, “God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…weather happens,” so “stop thinking God has condemned your neighbor for the speck in their eye when you still have a plank in your own.”
All of this said, what should be our response to these disasters—to what insurance agents and poor theologians call “acts of God”?  I think it is two-fold.
First, is the response that Jesus calls us to in Luke.  We are not to examine the lives of those who were killed looking for a reason that they may have been punished, but to examine our own lives.  We are called by Jesus to look at where we are sinful and repent.  Jesus said that the folks who suffered in the disasters he addressed were no worse sinners than any of the people who didn’t die—they just failed to repent and enjoy the forgiveness that God offers and live joy-filled lives in the grace and strength of God.  It’s not that deathbed conversions, or final opportunities to embrace the loving arms of Christ aren’t legitimate.  The issue with waiting until a disaster is upon you to surrender your life to Christ is that we lose the joy of a full life with Christ before our end is imminent.  It is the difference between facing a disaster as an unrepentant sinner when there are two options before you…death and eternal separation from God or simply death and nothingness if the person doesn’t believe that God exists; and facing the storms and possible death with the peace of someone who has surrendered their life to Christ and seeking to live out God’s will, having the assurance that neither the storm nor anything else, not even you house collapsing down upon you or being ripped off from above you, will be able to separate you from love of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The second thing is to look for what are truly acts of God in connection with the disasters.  Where do we see those “acts of God”?
We see acts of God in firefighters from the United States and Mexico heading to Canada to battle a dangerous wildfire.
We see acts of God in the Mississippi Braves (a farm team for the Atlanta Braves) collecting donations to respond to the Hattiesburg tornado victims.
We see acts of God in Keri Henry, use her laptop, iPhone, and social media to coordinate the rescue of hundreds of victims following Hurricane Harvey.
We see acts of God in Chris Ginter using his brother’s monster truck to rescue folks caught in those same flood waters.
We see acts of God in two men from Tennessee taking their boats to Houston to help in the search and rescue efforts.
We see acts of God in the banding together of MercyMe, TobyMac, Casting Crowns, For King and Country and others to offer a concert with all proceeds going to Convoy of Hope’s response to Hurricane Harvey.
We see the acts of God in Team Rubicon, a group of military veterans, who enter communities hit by natural disasters to help the communities recover.
We see the acts of God in the response of the United Methodist Committee on Relief as they delivered flood bucket and health kits and ready Early Response Teams…and knowing that the UMC is in for the long haul (often one of the last remaining faith-based groups that continues to help with the ongoing recovery after other groups leave town).
The acts of God are seen in those, who, as Paul says, “rejoice with those who rejoice,” such as those rescuers who help a family find a lost or trapped family member…and “weep with those who weep,” coming alongside and grieving with those who grieve the loss of a loved one.
My brothers and sisters…a tornado, earthquake, and other disaster comes along and we do truly see, not just one, but many “acts of God,” not in in the destruction caused, but in the sacrifices made, the love shared, the compassion offered, the aid given, and in the hands and feet of those who respond.
My friends…when what the insurance companies call an “act of God” hits, may we, God’s people, truly reveal to the world what acts of God look like.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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