Who's Responsible?

The world is reeling from the recent disasters in Japan - a 9.0 earthquake offshore, followed by a 23-foot tsunami, topped off by pretty rough aftershocks, iced (rather literally) by sub-freezing temperatures chilling the thousands of thousands of newly homeless people.  Take those mind-boggling crises and top them off with nuclear power plants that are in danger of meltdown, which would release radioactive fumes into the surrounding areas.  I won't ask what more can go wrong for these people; I'm afraid something else would happen.

I read an article today about the cumulative disasters that are plaguing the Japanese people.  The article quoted many people, including the governor of Tokyo.  "Shintaro Ishihara, told reporters Monday that the disaster was "punishment from heaven" because Japanese have become greedy" (courtesy MSNBC.com).  I know that Japan is not a heavily Christian nation, but it seems interesting that the recent rash of disasters is attributed to "punishment from heaven."  That made me start thinking about God's role in all this mess.


Honestly, I know that God is over all the heavens and the Earth, that God could have easily stopped the sequence of events that led to the earthquake and resulting tsunami.  I don't know why God didn't, and perhaps it's not for me to know.  Have the Japanese been living a greedy, materialistic lifestyle, as Ishihara claims?  Again, I have no idea, so I won't presume to judge.  Why does this idea make me so uncomfortable?


While I can't speak for the greed or lack thereof of Japan, I can speak to the greed of most Americans.  We want and want and want.  We are the richest country in the world and tend to horde so many of our resources for ourselves.  I suspect that my discomfort stems from the knowledge that we in America have enough of our own sins to make me aware that if God so chooses and if God truly does cause disasters as punishment, then we're potentially doomed.


But wait...  The Chinese character for "crisis" is also the one for "opportunity," and moments of God's grace are already appearing.  The news is on as I type this, and the meteorologist gave the weather for Japan.  The bad news is, it's snowing and just above freezing in the northern part of the country - the part hardest hit.  The good news is, a low front has moved just offshore and the wind is pushing any radiation out to sea instead of inland.  The US is one of three countries that are stepping up to offer a significant amount of assistance to Japan.  We get to step out of our $3.55-$5.50/gal-inspired pity parties and remove our focus from our high unemployment numbers and think instead of these people who are recovering from the unimaginable - no homes, no food, no shelter, lost/missing loved ones...  The danger of radiation poisoning and very cold temperatures just top off the misery.  


Let's take this crisis and turn it into opportunity - and opportunity to pray, serve and love.  Let's bury old prejudices from over 60 years ago and find ways to minister to these suffering people.  It doesn't matter what our history with the Japanese is.  It doesn't matter the shape of their eyes, the color of their skin or the language they speak.  It's about a people who God loves and to whom we are supposed to show love as well.  They need to feel this love, though - both in our actions and our words.  Let's do it!