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Monday, March 28, 2005

Post-Holiday Quakes Strikes Again

Messy Christian blogs about Post-Easter quake here.

It was the day after Christmas that the 9.0 hit in the Indian Ocean. Now, the day after Easter, another one almost as big hits in nearly the same spot.

The difference? No tsunami this time. No tsunami and scientists are baffled. I'm not going to jump right into the Hand of God explanation. It's just too easy to wonder where God's hands were during the Post-Christmas quake.

I'm also not going to make too much out of the unusual timing of these quakes, coming on the heels of the two biggest Christian holidays and all. Following the two days in which more people than any other time have just spent at least a little time hearing the name of Jesus, BOOM, the biggest quakes in a generation.

Coincidence? Who knows? And if it not a coinidence, then what meaning can be assigned to them? Has Satan been unleashed? Is God unloading some wrath? Is God awakening and reawakening the sensitivities of rich Western Christians?

Frankly, if there is meaning to the timing of these quakes, I think I will fall on this one:

God is speaking to Christians in judgment. "Spread your wealth to a hungry, diseased, and illiterate world! Become poor for the sake of the poor and sick and uneducated! Quit being self-absorbed in your self-esteem ministries, in the building of bigger barns, and in self-promoting your inbred communities! Go to the world or something worse might happen to them - and their blood will be on your hands. Have I opened the treasure chest of wealth for you to consume it all? What more can I do to rouse the compassion that still lies within your hearts, though buried in narcissism? Church, wake up!"

I want to clarify that I do not consider myself a prophet of God, but if I had to place a bet, I think God's saying something like this.

6 comments:

Phil said...

Good thoughts on this, Chris. Too often I ignore my real obligation to the poor, both in spirit and physically poor. And truly, I generally seek justice when it benefits me and mine. I read somewhere that a religion should be judged for the benefit it brings its nonadherents. Christianity has done that well in the past, but I fear that we are becoming extremely insular and provincial.

Good meeting you this weekend.

Fajita said...

Phil, it was good to meet you over the weekend as well.

Mostly, on my bog, I'm just preaching to myself and anyone else is invited to listen in.

Phil said...

I know the feeling, bro. It's stuff we all need to hear.

MaryAnn Mease said...

i also see the "wierdness" of the timing of the quakes...
is it really to wake up the slumbering "rich" western Church?

i think so...
but....how many will give like He wants us to give?
very very sad...
we still want our comforts and our next new bigger and better (fill in the blank)

God help us to realize what we are doing and help us to change our hearts...now! before the tragedy strikes HERE!

Milton Stanley said...

I've wondered these same things. The timing, and lack of tsunami the second time, should make everybody take notice. Of what, I'm not sure, although I have no doubt God wants Western Christians to understand the truths you tell.

Phil said...

I know the feeling, bro. It's stuff we all need to hear.