Faith at Work in a Hurricane-Ravaged America

Irma flooding in Charleston, SC

Many Americans who have been concerned about and praying for hurricane-ravaged areas in TX, LA, and FL are encouraged to see whole neighborhoods, churches, and local and federal agencies coming together as never before to provide assistance. Faith-based groups have exercised a particularly large role in the recovery effort in Texas and Louisiana. According to the The Daily Caller, “Faith-based relief groups are responsible for providing nearly 80 percent of the aid delivered thus far to communities with homes devastated by the recent hurricanes.”

I was surprised to see that the contribution from people of faith was this large. Even though televised news has provided accounts of how Christian and other faiths are working heroically, much of the attention seems to center on government agencies, particularly FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).   Josh Gill, writing for the The Daily Caller, uses the dominant role of faith-based groups to make the point that once again the private sector is outdoing the government.  Gill writes, “Christian non-profit organizations have outdone FEMA and provided the vast majority of the relief aid to victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.”

While statistics may support Gill’s opening statement to his article, I was glad to read in Gill’s article that the real issue is not competition between private sector and big government or between faith-based and secular groups.  Instead, Gill emphasizes the cooperation between these groups in a wonderful, complementary relationship that reflects the evidence that the Spirit of Christ is at work in these acts of compassion, generosity, and sacrifice.

Still, it is easy for those of us who consider ourselves political and social conservatives to relish stories that demonstrate how private enterprise outdoes big government.  Cheryl K. Chumley of the The Washington Times writes that “…people who put God first, people who are committed to serving Jesus, people who are driven by a moral compass that comes from above, are the real doers and shakers and movers — the ones who see a need and respond.  The Big Government types?  They see a need and dial their lawmaker — call for a committee hearing — petition for a study.  It’s only after they navigate the hoops, and fill out the proper forms, they respond.”

While Chumley’s contrast between Christ-followers and “Big Government types” can be supported by comparisons of amount given to charitable causes, I am more encouraged by the fact that the hurricanes are providing opportunity for Americans of all persuasions to strive for understanding and cooperation.  On the one hand, there is no doubt that God means what He says in His Word  that “without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11: 6).  This truth means that if Christ were to return today while Christ-followers are working alongside Christ-denier’s at a hurricane recovery site, only the Christ-followers by their faith in Christ's shed blood “…will be caught up together with [other Christ-followers] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air… (v. 17).”  But on the other hand, this promise of sins forgiven and assurance of eternity with God ought to make the believer all the more Christ-like toward other believers and toward unbelievers as they serve together in needy neighborhoods.

In this spirit of unity, purpose, and compassion, Christ-followers who work cooperatively among unbelievers or people of other faiths can be the salt and light that Christ calls us to be (Matthew 5: 13-16).  Chumley explains how this biblical principle has influenced true Christ-followers and in so doing, has made America great in years past:

America’s greatness was, is and always will be rooted in the fact that our rights come from God, not government. With that, comes a responsibility — that we conduct ourselves on an individual basis as if we believe in God. Bluntly put, it’s what the founders believed; it’s how they envisioned a moral and limited government not just shaping, but staying around a while. Happily, it’s what a large portion of America’s population today still believes.

Those who live by this kind of faith in God, understand the importance of a complementary relationship between faith-based groups and government.  Rev. Jamie Johnson, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships understands this principle.   The Daily Caller’s Joshua Gill quotes Johnson as follows: “FEMA cannot do what it does so well without the cooperation of faith-based non-profit organizations and churches.  It's a beautiful relationship between government and the private sector and it is something to behold."  According to Johnson, as Gill writes, “FEMA does not assign work to the state agencies or the faith-based groups.”  Rather, according to Johnson, "we affirm the work that they are already doing ... FEMA brings the groups into its national command center to work with us because they have their people on the ground."

Samaritan's Purse praised FEMA for its excellent cooperation.

Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, said in USA Today, “FEMA, they have been a big blessing to us, they’re an assistance to us. For Hurricane Irma, the majority of our equipment has already been dispatched to Texas ... so our office in Canada is bringing their equipment across the border and FEMA was instrumental in helping us clear that with customs and getting all the paperwork done."

In the midst of the upended communities, flooded homes, and scattered rubble we can see a blessed unity of purpose among people of all persuasions.  After all, the grace of God is present in all human beings, and at times like these humans sometimes rise to show the character of the One Who made us and died to redeem us.  

As we remember those in hurricane-ravaged areas along our southern coast, we pray that God will protect lives and restore the material infrastructure of homes and communities.  In the process of restoration, may God bring spiritual revival to many individuals, families, communities, and our nation through the witness of people of faith serving on behalf of those in great need.  As the Apostle Peter so aptly wrote,” But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess (1 Peter 3: 15 NET).

What About You?   Comments are always welcome.  If you are considering material donation to assist hurricane recovery efforts, I would recommend Samaritan's Purse whose website is https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ 

Stewardship of Creation and “Natural Law”

Humanly speaking, 2011 has revealed a more violent and destructive side of the ‘natural world.’ In the aftermath of the late December earthquake and tsunami in Japan, snowstorms in January and February paralyzed the Eastern U.S. In the Spring, while tornadoes ravaged the southeastern U.S. and Joplin, Missouri, drought and wildfires consumed parts of western U.S., and the lower Mississippi Valley was inundated with flood waters.

God has called you and I to exercise stewardship over an often violent and unpredictable world. Yet in the face of a violent world, what does it mean to exercise stewardship or “creation care?” According to Matthew 7:24, the wise builder is one who builds on a firm foundation; yet even the firmest foundation is no match for a powerful earthquake. The land steward plants trees to stabilize steep slopes and to provide habitat and food for wildlife. Though it takes years to develop, the forest can be destroyed within minutes by a tornado.

What then is the point of caring for creation–caring for a world that seems to be more chaos than cosmos (order, arrangement)? According to Romans 8: 16-25, “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...” but we, along with “the whole creation, groan and suffer...waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”

Is it still possible for fallen humans to exercise God-honoring stewardship of a creation “subjected to futility?” The answer is “yes.” According to Colossians 1:13, He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son...the Creator (v. 16), Sustainer (v. 17), and the One Who [came] to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

As members of the body of Christ, our conduct toward our temporary home, the Earth, is part of our calling to bring glory to this One Who died to redeem us and the whole cosmos (Col. 1:20). Although we and all of creation experience unpredictable violent events such as storms and earthquakes, our call to stewardship extends out of God’s original command to Adam. Adam was invited by God to study the created order, and to learn his place and purpose in that order (Gen. 2: 19-20). His study of the creation taught him that humankind was distinctly different from any other kind of creature and that there was as yet no suitable mate for him. Hence, Adam’s ensuing joy at the creation of Eve from his own flesh (Genesis 2: 21-25). Likewise, Adam and his descendants were expected to till and keep (serve and preserve; Gen. 2:15) the land– to study the soil, the water, the seeds and plants, and to understand the seasons for planting and harvesting.

Natural law ethics is consistent with what we learn in Genesis when it claims that there is order and purpose in the natural world, and that mankind is both capable and responsible for discerning this order and purpose. Thus, while we observe the eagle flying gracefully from her nest high in a conifer tree, we are supposed to learn from an early age that we are not made to jump out of trees. Likewise, we learn from our early years to establish a daily cycle of activity and rest. And, the farmer plants in the proper season and prepares to harvest in another season.

Application of natural law ethics can transform our stewardship through transformation of our character. The steward who views creation as having order and purpose will strive to learn more about his or her surroundings and how his or her actions will influence that order. The intent of the science of ecology should be to provide a theory of understanding of the natural order. Aldo Leopold combined aspects of natural law ethics and ecological holism to develop his “land ethic.” Thus, according to Leopold, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

Even though communities will continue to face devastating storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis, the extent of the effects of calamities can be minimized by wise decision making. For example, according to the Associated Press, the village of Aneyoshi in Japan escaped the damage from the March tsunami because it respected the ancient stone markers representing the elevation below which building construction was known to be hazardous.

"Everybody here knows about the markers. We studied them in school," said Yuto Kimura, 12.” Here, we have living proof of the true purpose of education, not only in science where we should learn about the natural order, but in ethics and in Scripture where we should learn what is “good” and “right,” and what we “ought to do.”

Case in point: The lower Mississippi River flooding in recent weeks. Not to point an uncaring and judgmental finger at the communities now suffering along the Mississippi, but rather to ask “what can we learn from flooding incidents along many of our rivers and tributaries?” Should we place markers along the flood plains of major rivers to restrict building in hazardous elevations? What are the boundaries of rivers? Certainly not the river banks which themselves have moved back and forth by processes of erosional cutting and sediment deposition. Can a river water or coastal tides be contained by dikes? We should know the answers from experience. Rather, we must focus on the cause of the flood waters.

Although we can have little influence on the volume of precipitation falling from the sky, our stewardship of the land does influence the fate of the rain and snow in a given land area, or watershed. Rivers overflow their banks when rainfall is unable to infiltrate into the soil and instead flows quickly into drainage ditches, creeks, and rivers. When we ignore “ancient boundaries” of rivers and proceed to drain wetlands and deforest or plow steep hillsides, we hurry the water into runoff that leads to flooding.

Certainly, creation often reveals a violent and destructive side. However, our lack of understanding of the natural order, or disregard for “boundaries”, and our resultant poor stewardship of the land multiplies the extent of destruction that can result.

Thanks for reading. Let me invite you to share other examples in which ignorance and/or disregard for the natural order cause multiplication of a calamity. Maybe you can also add a positive solution that has resulted from the lesson(s) learned. Meanwhile, may we heed the words of Scripture, Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set (Proverbs 22:28), as it applies to every area of our lives– reverence and love for God, love for our neighbor, honoring parents, assisting the poor, and other fundamental moral responsibilities.