A First Response to Disaster and Tragedy
Facing the senseless: A starting point
Like many of you, my heart is breaking over the horrific events unfolding in South Texas. As I write this, over 100 lives have been claimed by the raging floodwaters of the Guadalupe River, with countless others still unaccounted for. Tragically, the number of lives lost is expected to climb. The news of numerous young girls from Camp Mystic swept away by the flood brings an additional, overwhelming wave of sorrow. Each life lost is invaluable, but the senseless loss of children creates a grief that feels beyond words, too deep for human language to describe. I've spent much of the weekend enveloped in a profound sadness for these little ones, though I did not know them personally.
Adding to the tragedy is the rush with which some are seeking to analyze the 'why' and assign blame. With bodies still unaccounted for and the dead yet to be buried, opinions are already surfacing about the reasons behind this disaster. Some are trying to make political hay—blaming the Republicans, Donald Trump, or Climate Change—as potential culprits. Perhaps you find yourself among this crowd. On the other hand, some are directing their anger towards the weather service, the warning systems, and local officials. Others even blame the campground owners for choosing to set up their sites along the picturesque banks of the river. I get it; we want to respond — to say something, to find the cause, and to assign blame. However, sadly, the vocal pronouncements coming from some are almost inhumane.
The insurance sector will likely classify this as "an act of God," a sentiment that is unfortunately echoed by many. After all, when human agency is difficult to pinpoint, we tend to attribute it to a divine source. I must admit, while I'm not accusing God, I'm left wrestling with that age-old question: "Why God?"
Jesus addressed this question of natural disasters on a couple of occasions.:
"And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?" - Luke 13:4
"...for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust".-Matthew 5:45
In both of these scriptures, Jesus emphasizes that natural disasters occur without regard for whether those affected are good or evil, deserving or undeserving. Such tragedies stem from the curse of sin that affects our world. They are not the result of human action, nor are they acts of God. Our instinct to seek causes or assign blame does not serve us well, especially in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Since the fall of man, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods have been part of our reality. While we may be tempted to direct our frustrations toward God, these disasters are simply a part of nature. Buildings may crumble, bridges may fail, and planes may plummet from the sky. Although we may try to identify a person or entity to hold responsible, the truth is that these events are predominantly random occurrences.
The reality is that what we witnessed in South Texas was a natural disaster, one that was neither triggered by human actions nor a punishment unleashed by an angry God. Author Randy Alcorn says, "Unless God clearly reveals it, we should never assume that a natural disaster or moral atrocity comes upon this earth as his specific judgment on specific people." 1
As I write this, first responders are on the scene working to rescue and to recover. But what should be our first response?
We are to mourn and weep.
There will be a time to ask questions and to voice our anger. Part of healthy grieving involves taking time to process these emotions and to acknowledge our pain. Yet, that moment isn't now. Now is the time to share in the sorrow of those who are grieving. The Apostle Paul encourages us to "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15).
Solomon encourages us to embrace the truth that this mourning response to tragedy is a part of the divine plan and rhythm in life. For there is a:
"A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance" - Ecclesiastes 3:4
While Solomon does not specify how long each of these phases should persist, he wisely emphasizes that there are particular moments when we are meant to grieve and mourn. The initial days following a tragedy are best reserved for our tears. Everything inside us longs to be comforted. Yet, the path to comfort requires us to navigate through sorrow and sadness. It's only through grieving and mourning that we open ourselves up to receive God's comfort. Jesus beautifully declared within His promise, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
Author Nicole Unice beautifully stated,
"When we mourn, we honestly acknowledge what has been lost—no spin, no reframing, no fixing, no blaming. Mourning with God is an act of faith. It's believing that His comfort will come, even when we have no answers. It's trusting that even in our darkness, God has not abandoned us. It's surrendering to His goodness even when everything feels bad." 2
You may be feeling numb or struggling to shed tears easily. Many men are conditioned to believe that showing emotion is a sign of weakness, especially when it comes to expressing grief. Yet, the natural response to loss—especially in the face of inexplicable disaster and heart-wrenching tragedy—is not gender specific. Mourning is the essential path toward finding comfort.
Mourning also encompasses compassion. Compassion takes us beyond sympathy or even empathy.
"Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human." 3
This first response also focuses on the theme of redemption, believing that God can create beauty from chaos. In moments when we can't make sense of it all, we cling to the hope that God has the power to transform anything, even a senseless tragedy, into something good.
Finally, we weep and mourn at this moment with the promise that this is just for a season. "Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning." We have the hope of eternity where the season of weeping and mourning will no longer exist.
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." - Revelation 21:4
Thomas More wrote: "Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal."
If God is Good, Randy Alcorn
Not What I Signed up For, Nicole Unice)
Compassion - a Reflection on the Christian life, Henri Nouwen
Randomness and regularity are not opposite God’s rule, but are part of the orderliness of God-given creation. Evil on the other hand, be it naturally occurring, demonic activity, or human sinfulness and folly are not the hand of God and are to be fought, resisted, and learned from.
For example, much of airline safety we now experience and benefit from is the result of learning from the tragedies and mistakes of the past. We have to learn from the past lest we be doomed to repeat it. I would like to think that each of us has within us an internal “black box” or flight data recorder from which we can learn to do better. The unexamined life is truly not worth living.
We do live in a fallen world to be sure. Reinhold Niebuhr said of the human condition that we are both sinful and finite. Repentance and freedom from sin is a necessary prerequisite. We must also humble ourselves to learn from our mistakes and grow in our knowledge of what was previously unknown or unappreciated.
Needed today