Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina, originally uploaded by Melinda.

Why are there "acts of God"?

So that we know of a God who acts.

"Acts of God" are not a punishment for people who sinned. For all people are sinners, there are none righteous.

And also not because some people in some parts of the world are greater sinners than others; for no sin is greater than another, and neither lesser too, but all sin are equally sinful.

God act, for people forget that it is God who is the Creator of all things.

We may plow the field, sow the seeds, but it is God who sent the rain and the sun at the right times to make the seed grow.

We strived to know so that we can better control the growth itself. We learn about climate and weather and biology and genetic science. We grow more and more in knowledge.

We know the best times and best places to plant, the best nutrient to feed the plants. We can now even engineer the best seeds for a particular geography and economic goal. We can tweaked a seed's genes to make it gives the best yields, the most resistance to pests, and the least tending, and so on.

But we still cannot make the rain fall and the sun shines as and when we want it.

Anyone who says that human knowledge will guarantees humankind certainty in all that we do, will be thought foolish.

And no man has yet caused any earthquake, or a hurrincane, or a tsunami, or a star to be born or die.

And yet we forget that what we do are only necessary for things to happen, but entirely insufficient.

Things happen only if God make them happen.

So "acts of God" is God speaking to the world that he is God.

And it is out of mercy that God keeps reminding the world that he is so.

That people die and people suffer lost are no argument that God is not merciful.

For all people die, one day. Only the manner, the timing, and one's readiness for it differ.

And people suffer lost everyday too at the hands of each other, but God is far kinder.

And David said ... "I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man."

[2 Sam 24:14]