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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Judgment on Louisiana?

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may be the worst man-caused environmental disaster in human history. Coming just a few years after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage in the same area, it makes us think. Is God punishing Louisiana, or New Orleans? (or Haiti?)

Maybe. But maybe not.

Here's what Jesus said in Luke 13:

13:1 Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  2 Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.  4 Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem?  5 I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.” (From the World English Bible, which is Public Domain, so I can quote from it freely. It is also more easily understandable than the King James. Other versions, including the KJV, say essentially the same thing in this passage.)

Jesus explicitly said, for both a man-caused disaster, and a gravity-caused one, that the people who died were no worse than the rest of us.

I have no doubt that there was evil in Haiti, or New Orleans. But there is evil in my own state, too. God doesn't like any of it. I have been to Las Vegas once (that was enough). I found flyers, advertising the services of "entertainers" (prostitutes) openly everywhere, including being shoved under our motel room's door. The portion of the Yellow Pages taken up by "entertainers" was as large as any other section of the phone book. Apparently, they were classified, by age, race, and, perhaps, by other attributes. And, I understand, this sort of thing has been going on in Las Vegas for years. God didn't strike them with any disasters that made the news back 5 to 25 years ago. And prostitution wasn't the only wide-spread sin problem in Las Vegas.

Besides, the blame for the Gulf Oil Spill should be spread around pretty thickly. BP is from the United Kingdom. Their previous planning for problems was, well, a disaster. The branch of the US government that was supposed to regulate their activity didn't do what they should have done. And we, most of us, anyway, are using energy like there was no tomorrow and were no consequences. I am partly responsible for the Gulf Oil Spill. You probably are, too.

Thank God, God is merciful, when we deserve justice. My own town, my own family, I, myself, deserve to be eternally punished for my sin. God provided a sacrifice for that sin. Whether we live in New Orleans, Moscow, or Walla Walla, God could justly send a disaster. He could also allow a disaster. But He usually doesn't.

God help the people of the Gulf area, and all of us, in all the ways He wants to.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

you are invited to follow my blog

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks. I posted a comment on your latest post.

Jason and Kelley said...

I greatly value your insight and am thankful for it here. I've been aware of the same thing lately: man's great sinfulness and God's great mercy. Thanks for writing!

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks, Jason and Kelley.

Thank God for His mercy.

Solid Rock or Sinking Sand said...

I really enjoyed reading the posts on your blog. I would like to invite you to come over to my blog and check it out. God bless, Lloyd

Martin LaBar said...

Thanks, Lloyd. I commented on one of your posts.

atlibertytosay said...

"But there is evil in my own state, too. God doesn't like any of it."

And in our city, and in some cases; our own homes.

I hate when evangelists tell us when the wrath of God is upon us. We'll know for certain when THAT TIME comes!

I heard a good quote a while back from someone talking about how i should view things on my website:

Often you will find that those casting stones are chipping the rocks to throw from their own person!

I meant to post that ... I will right now!

Martin LaBar said...

Yes, atlibertytosay, in our own city, our own home, and, of course, most importantly, in ourselves.

Thanks.