GOD IS NOT ‘CREATOR ABSCONDITA’

This is a response to an article that appeared on the Star Newspaper of 22nd January, by one, Henry Makori. He asked rhetorical questions, in relation to the earthquake tragedy that hit Haiti. Makori was asking “what is religions answer to the Haiti tragedy?”. He asked a number of questions. Is God good all the time? Is God all powerful and in control of everything that happens in the universe? Does God know everything? My answer is to all these questions is an emphatic “Yes!” Religion’s answer to the God of Haiti is that there is no God of Haiti. We have one universal God who stands alone, and he is the God of all people, Haitians included. I would start by pointing out that God is the author of life, and the maker of all creation. All that is happening today is happening with the knowledge of God. God being the beginning of all things, He has knowledge and power that He can use to accomplish His will on earth. Therefore, what happened to the Haitians did not happen behind his back. He is not ‘creator abscondita’, who created the earth and then left it to run its own affairs. As God’s creation, we need not question God because He is not obligated to answer us. He always does what is pleasing to Him and for His pleasure. God is the only one who can decide what to do with His creation. If we look at events from the perspective of God, we will better understand what is happening around us. We cannot understand God because he is not meant to be understood anyway. When we understand Him, then He will cease to be God. Makori goes ahead to ask whether an all powerful and loving God would allow what happened in Haiti to take place. While sympathising with the Haitians, it is totally wrong and insensitive for anybody to say with certainty that it is because of their sins that God forsook the people of Haiti, as televangelist Pat Robertson of the 700 Club TV programme is reported by Makori to have said. If we were to say that suffering comes to us because we have forsaken God, then how will we explain the fact that some calamities happen without discriminating between evil and good people? Even in the midst of calamities we need to remember that God is still present and he is in control. He promises in His word in Hebrews 13: 5 that “I will not leave nor forsake you.” Those who trust in Him have a hope beyond this life and that is why death, in any form, does not mean the end of life. On the contrary, it is the beginning of another blissful life. God refers to himself as the Alpha and Omega, that is, he is the first and the last being. He existed before all creation came into being, and He will be there at the very end of time. Those who die believing in Him will meet Him someday and those who did not believe in Him will also get their due reward. Therefore, let us not look at life in isolation, but let us look at life from God’s perspective. This will help us understand what is happening to us, to those around us and we will not fall into the trap of making irritating and unfounded judgements like the evangelist Pat Robertson. As for the student quoted by Makori who is confused by the happenings in Haiti, I can only say that you should not loose hope because you don’t understand. Turn to God because he has the answers that can satisfy your curiosity. If you are looking for a way, He is the Way, if you are looking for truth, He is the Truth, if you are seeking for life, He is Life.