God Is There

After a tragedy, many often ask where is God? It’s a fair question. After back to back hurricanes, millions of Americans have asked this question.

I believe God is there, but not in the way some think.

I have been close, but never in a natural disaster. I do know people who have been affected by natural disasters. I cannot imagine what it is like to wake up one morning in one’s house, and to wake up the next morning someplace knowing your house no longer exists. I do know what’s like to wake up one morning and know a family member is there and wake up the next and know the family member is gone forever.

When my sister was in a car accident, there was six days when she was in a coma until my mother made the decision to take her off the respirator. Everyone one of those days three sisters from the nursing college from which she was about to graduate sat with us. We were Lutheran, but that made no difference to the sisters. They were there for us and God was in them

The two hurricanes are not acts of God, they are forces of nature. God is in all those who are helping their neighbors recovery. It does not matter if the volunteers who show up to help those in need after a natural disaster are part of a religion or no religion at all, God is them as their acts reflect the parable of the Good Samaritan.

God is in all the workers who are helping with the recovery. Be they utility workers, health care workers, emergency service workers and all the rest. God is them as they work to help others. Some may say, they are being paid. No one does any of those jobs because they being paid, they do those jobs to be of service.

Where God is not is in the self-described Christian nationalist and member of the New Apostolic Reformation [NAR] who said Helene was sent by God so VP candidate Vance could campaign in Pennsylvania instead of North Carolina. After Helene went through NC he changed his position and Helene was caused by the government. This individual and others like him are not led by the teachings of Jesus. If there is a Devil, the Devil has his/her horns into this person and others like him.

I know this sounds insane, mostly because it is, but a Republican Congresswoman from George also said Hurricane Helene was created by the government. She was rebuked by other Republicans and anyone else who has an IQ in excess of a small rock.

The government did not make a hurricane, but our government does have FEMA whose who purpose is to help people who have been affected by natural disasters. FEMA is not perfect, but its objective is perfect, to help people when their lives are at their worse. I understand there have been times when FEMA has underperformed, Hurricane Katrina for example. But I also know many examples of FEMA doing excellent work including a time where I lived very close to the disaster.

Where God is missing is Christian Nationalists who believe the two recent hurricanes or any natural disasters are acts of God. God is also missing in the Congresswoman from GA and others like her who say the government created the hurricane. Finally God is missing in the former President and now candidate Trump who has continually lied about the hurricane and relief efforts. God is also missing in any of his supporters. [One article rebuking Trump’s lies is a CNN article dated October 7th, 2024 entitled “Fact Check: Six days of Trump lies abut the Hurricane Helene response”.

Anyone who votes for a Presidential candidate or any of his supporters who blatantly lies for his own gain is moving away from God and the teachings of Jesus.

It is going to be a long road ahead for recovery in many of these affected areas. God will be in all those who help with the recovery.

I learned a long time ago, God does not bless some with life and others with death. Nor does God have leave some totally devastated by a natural disaster and others only a few minutes or miles away are minimally affected. It does not work that way. What I believe is God blesses all with the knowledge when today is over, regardless of what happened, in some form or another, there is a tomorrow.

Finally, I have always thought going back to when I was a little dude, those who think that God micromanages all things is not a spiritual belief, but a crutch promoted by some religions to control their followers. For me, being spiritual is the knowledge God blesses all of us, during good times and bad.