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CajunRick
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Posted: Fri May 18th, 2007 08:38 pm |
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There is an interesting article in my local newspaper today, written by a local Methodist minister. He says God can be found in hurricanes like Katrina and Rita, because scripture tells us to look for God in dark places:
You'll find the article here.
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beachmoss
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Simpsonville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 296 |
| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic (raised Baptist) |
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Posted: Sun May 20th, 2007 10:41 pm |
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Rick,
I tried the link, but I need to be registered on the site to read the article. Is there any other way you can get the article on the forum for us to see? It sounds interesting, and I'd like to read it. I just prefer not to register with the newspaper's site.
Thanks!
Beth
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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon May 21st, 2007 12:01 am |
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Hurricane season looms, but God can be found in storms
THE REV. BARRY HOEKSTRA
Columnist
Hurricane season is almost here.
Before hurricanes Katrina and Rita, preparation for my wife Lisa and I consisted of making sure there were fresh batteries in the flashlights and plenty of candles. We would head to the grocery store and make sure that we had lots of chips, Double Stuf Oreos and other comfort foods.
When the storm was about to hit, we turned down the air conditioner to make sure that the house was cooler than usual. We wanted to make sure that we would stay as comfortable as long as possible when the electricity went off.
For Katrina and Rita, we stayed in town. These storms hit close to Sundays. I work on Sundays. By the time church was over, it was too late to get out of town. A friend told us it took four-and-a-half hours to get from Houma to Morgan City. At that rate, we could have gotten stuck on the road as we made our way to north central Louisiana where we still have a little home and where my mother-in-law still lives.
Of course Lisa’s mother was a bit dramatic when she learned that we were going to stay put for the storms. She said something like: "Well, give me the phone number where Sam (our daughter) is evacuating to so that I’ll know where to get a hold of her when it is time to identify your bodies."
I got her back a year later when I told her that our hurricane-preparation kit was complete.
"Really!" she said. "What’s in it?"
"A Sharpie," I said.
I could tell she was confused.
"Oh, yeah," I explained. "We are gonna’ write our Social Security numbers on our arms so you will have an easier time identifying our bodies!" (I don’t think I’ll be selected as Son-in-law of the Year anytime soon.)
There have been a lot of natural disasters in the news lately. Flooding. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Wildfires.
As we approach another hurricane season we become increasingly uneasy, too. Last year was a mild season for us, in spite of the dire predictions early in the season. This year’s forecast suggests a lot of storms, too. Is there ever a year when forecasters suggest that it will be a milder than usual season?
Many of these natural events are called "acts of God." Katrina and Rita, some suggest, were sent to New Orleans to punish then for the debauchery in the French Quarter. God is punishing the city for their sins.
If God punishes cities and people in those cities in this way, God must really be angry with the churches in Texas. After Rita, a trip to College Station showed more churches with storm damage than any other structures along Interstate 10.
Natural and unnatural disasters happen.
University students are gunned down by mentally ill students.
Young people die in car crashes.
Drunken drivers kill others.
Cancer and illnesses strike people down in the prime of life.
Babies get sick and die.
Evil people get ahead.
Righteous people suffer.
Life isn’t always very fair.
One of my favorite scriptures is pretty obscure. Moses has given the Hebrews the Ten Commandments. These commandments help order civil and religious life. Moses has been speaking to God as though he has been speaking with a friend. This is pretty heady stuff even for a prophet. Imagine: Moses is the one who speaks to God and then speaks to the people about God. The people are scared to death of God. Smoke and fire and thunder and lightning are all found on the mountain when Moses speaks to God. The evidence of God that they see is pretty scary. "You talk to God for us," the people say to Moses. They want to observe God from the distance. The commandments are presented to the people in Exodus 20 in verses 1-20. The verse I like comes next: Exodus 20:21, where it says: "The people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was."
We often look for God in light places. This text suggests the opposite. The word for "thick darkness" is found elsewhere. It describes the plague of darkness.
Here’s my point: my experience in life -- and faith -- has taught me that God is reliably found in those dark places. That sure is good news for us as we face another storm season.
The Rev. Barry Hoekstra is pastor at First United Methodist Church on La. 311 in Houma, where he has served since June 2002. Previously, he held pastoral positions in Winnfield and Abbeville. He can be reached at 868-7787.
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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon May 21st, 2007 12:02 am |
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beachmoss wrote: I tried the link, but I need to be registered on the site to read the article. Is there any other way you can get the article on the forum for us to see? It sounds interesting, and I'd like to read it. I just prefer not to register with the newspaper's site.
Sorry. I am registered on the site (it's a free registration) so I never even thought of that. The article is reproduced above.
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beachmoss
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| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Simpsonville, South Carolina USA |
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| First Name: | Beth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic (raised Baptist) |
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Posted: Mon May 21st, 2007 12:16 am |
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Thanks, Rick!
That was a very good article. Now I need to word it for my eight-year-old. He was just asking a few weeks ago why God sent storms to destroy His creation.
Beth
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susiedear
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| Joined: | Thu Oct 12th, 2006 |
| Location: | Twin Cities, Minnesota USA |
| Posts: | 186 |
| First Name: | Elizabeth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Pentecostal / Evangelical / Catholic! |
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Posted: Tue May 22nd, 2007 01:09 pm |
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Rick, thanks for posting the column. I've been in a dark place for a while, going on almost three years of unemployment. This pastor wrote a good reminder that even when God seems far away, he really is not.
Elizabeth
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But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. St. Augustine
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