Stephanie Glidden wanted to post this as a discussion on our blog, so I am posting this email for her. Feel free to comment! :) - Pastor
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The other night I was listening to Pastor John Hagee speak on something to do with Gods covenant with Jerusalem. I dont typically listen to TV Evangelists, but he posed a question that got my attention . He asked "Why did Hurricane Katrina happen?". Then he proceeded to say that every person in America is dodging that question, but he intended to answer it.
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The other night I was listening to Pastor John Hagee speak on something to do with Gods covenant with Jerusalem. I dont typically listen to TV Evangelists, but he posed a question that got my attention . He asked "Why did Hurricane Katrina happen?". Then he proceeded to say that every person in America is dodging that question, but he intended to answer it.
He then likened the events and areas affected by Hurricane Katrina to the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis Ch. 19). He said that the areas affected by the hurricane were so sinful and repulsive in Gods sight, so hated by God that He simply had to destroy them. He also said that another reason America is experiencing "Gods wrath" is due to the involvement we had in evacuating the Jewish people from the Gaza strip. After a standing ovation by his congregation, he moved on to his message and I changed the channel. But I have to say the comment has stuck with me. I would like to hear someone else what thinks about this!
-Stephanie
5 comments:
I happened upon your blog at random...
Hagee's words can be likened to the thoughts of historical men like Hitler & Darwin - that there is a process of natural selection (which Hitler believed to be God, Darwin did not) that keeps the balance of humanity in check.
I am neither Christian nor Jew, but I do believe in the God of Moses.
When the hurricane hit, my first thought was that people die when it is their time. There is no such thing as "dying before your time." Everything happens for a reason, whether natural catastrophy or mass murdering sprees. The way we leave this world is known by God before we are born, and what happens is supposed to happen...the plan is conceived of God and lived by us, whether we listen to Him or not.
The nature of televangelists is sensationalism and shock value. Their flocks are blinded by the extreme interpretations of God's word that the shephards shout out over them. It is sad, really...that people are so blind that they will follow the likes of Hagee, Hinn, and Copeland.
Why do you think the comment stuck with you Stephanie? What does it mean to you? Do you agree with Hagee's words?
I believe God had His hand in the disaster, as His hand is in all things. I believe that those who died, died because that was God's plan for their lives; those who survived and now infiltrate my neck of the woods (I live in north Texas) were supposed to get out alive...God's not done with them yet. He gave them the strength of a Phoenix, to rise from the ashes. He believes they will choose wisely when restarting their lives; and apparently they deserved a second chance to try.
Interesting topic.
--Stacy
It's amazing how you don't have to be a Christian to quote the Bible - thanks, Stacy, for hopping in. The Bible does say that we all have an appointment with death (Hebrews 9:27) and so I would definitely agree that death is an appointment.
But to Stephanie's question, I'd like to say that I understand why men like John Hagee would say what he said, and that they are entitled to their own opinions (as tele-evangelists tend to let us know!). I think he is calling out sin for what it is - sin. But maybe the WRONG question is "why did it happen?" Don't we assume too much, and presume to know the mind of God when we try to answer this question? Even looking to biblical examples like Sodom or the pending judgement of Nineveh, while they would stand as examples of God's judgement, there is no way for us to know what God was thinking (or what His intentions were) when these hurricanes hit.
Here's my perspective. I believe that sin brings consequences. I believe that God ALLOWS our consequences to happen very often, similar to a parent who allows their child to make a mistake that will ultimately teach them. Rather than ask "why," maybe we should ask "what can we learn from this?"
If the damaging hurricanes are results of global warming and improper stewardship of the earth, than what do we do from here? (Not "who do we blame?" - IF global warming is scientifically accurate, than it's not a political issue, it's a human issue.)
If the damaging hurricanes are results of sin, than what do we do from here? I Chronicles 7:14 - turn from our wicked ways, and Romans 10:9, call on the name of the Lord for salvation.
If the damaging hurricanes are the products of the world rapidly moving towards redemption, than what do we do from here? We prepare ourselves for the return of the Lord (I Thes. 4:16-18).
The question "why" when referencing God is so arbitrary and, in my opinion, pretty haughty (to think that I could know the mind of God and tell others that I do!). Unless I am a prophet, I can't make this claim.
So what do I think about Katrina? I think it stands as a wake-up call, and as Stacy suggests, a second-chance to the survivors, and New Orleans, and the Southeast - a second chance to embrace the grace and love of God.
PW
I happened upon your blog thanks to an email from my lovely non-Christian non-Jewish wife. Thanks Honey ;) I have two thoughts on this, actually, two observations. As Stacy said, we are in Texas, and our community has been a host to the evacuees of Katrina. A prevelant pastor in the Houston area has a radio show that airs here in Dallas and I was listening one morning not long after Katrina. His church staff and congreagation was/is one of the main contributors of comprehensive relief for the victims of Katrina that poured into the Astrodome and extended Houston area. He said that many of the evacuees he was involved with were from the poor neighborhoods of New Orleans. He said that many of them saw the whole ordeal they were going through as an immense blessing. They said that because of the bondage inherent in poverty, they believed, were it not for the hurricane, they would have never had a way out of their financial/social situations. Thanks to this terrible and wonderful event in their lives, they had been given a way out of an impossibly hopeless situation. I had never thought about the situation from this perspective before hearing this. Don't get me wrong, there are as many perspectives on Katrina as there are people that were impacted by it. I know that it is not viewed as an "immense blessing" by many people. To some it meant death, to others, sorrow or some combination of both, as well as a million other things. But to see this ray of light, this chance at new life after such a horrible tragedy, rings with allusions that I think Christians may find familiar (at least this one does). The second observation I have is of something that isn't exclusive to Katrina, but certainly appeared in Katrina's wake. Disasters and emergencies, natural or man-made, as horrible as they are, are generally followed by the best response mankind has to offer. We become kinder, we become more generous. We begin to love our neighbors in need as ourselves. There's something in us when faced with the suffering of our fellow brothers and sisters that says, "I can't imagine what I would do if that were happening to me. I have to do something." I think I recall Kanye West mentioning something along those lines in his emotional rambling (no offense intended with the word 'rambling' - I think we can graciously agree though that he was all over the map) on live TV. 9/11, Katrina, Oklahoma City, the Tsunami, the recent Jordan bombings (11/9: 9/11 backwards - we are such clever creatures, even at our worst) and their ugly siblings around the world are terrible things indeed. But from the ashes of these tragedies, again and again like clockwork there rises the base tenet of loving thy neighbor as thyself. Even in these wretched acts of man, and inexplicable, seemingly cold and indifferent, 'acts of God' the best in us comes out. Perhaps because God knows that this is built into us, He uses these tragedies as opportunities to stimilate and exercise that part of our nature, and work through the instrument of humanity to love His creatures with real hands, with real hearts, in a way they could have never experienced otherwise. He becomes, maybe for the first time, real to those who need Him most.
Also, how is a church both non-denominational and baptist at the same time? Just curious if that was a typo. If there is intent behind it, I'd be interested in knowing it.
Thanks!
Jeff,
We ground ourselves in basic Baptist doctrine , yet we are under no denominational board or head. Like a free-agent baseball player - having the skills, but not having the team. As is, we hold to core Christian doctrines and are Spirit-led - definitely a non-denominational feel all the way around.
Thanks for asking - few people notice.
-Rob
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