To Whom Will They Call Out To In Times of Disaster?

— by Wesley Kawato

A natural disaster is an event that kills or injures many people and is the result of forces beyond human control. The South Asia Tsunami that killed 225,000 people on December 26, 2004 fits the description of a natural disaster. It was caused by a tidal wave, something that wasn’t man made.

By contrast, the 9/11 attacks, which killed over 5,000 people on September 11, 2001 wasn’t a natural disaster because it was planned by people, not controlled by a natural force. Let’s begin by citing examples of natural disasters that have harmed mankind during the past year or two.

Types of Natural Disasters
There are many kinds of natural disasters. Some are weather related. The first recorded natural disaster was the Genesis Flood, an event that many cultures around the world have recorded through their oral traditions.

Floods still happen today, although none, in recent memory, have been of global proportions. In March of 2004 heavy rains caused mudslides in Kazakstan, which killed 28 people. Some bodies were so deeply buried that rescuers feared that they would never be found.

Hurricanes also cause floods. In October of 2004, Hurricane Jeanne ripped through Haiti, on its way north to Florida. Over 3,000 people died in that impoverished country, many more than in Florida. Poor nations, such as Haiti, get hit harder by natural disasters, because they don’t have the resources to implement adequate safety measures. Almost no part of the world is immune to floods. Even sunny Saudi Arabia isn’t immune to floods. In April of 2005, 30 people were killed by flash floods that hit that country.

Too much snow can also kill people. In February of 2005 an avalanche killed 13 people in Kashmir, India. The snow storm that caused the avalanche also delayed rescue efforts. A helicopter didn’t reach the affected area until the next day. Many survivors blamed the Indian government for the slowness of the rescue effort. Governments often get blamed for botched or delayed rescue efforts.

Too little water may be as deadly as too much water. The United Nations recommends that people get 50 liters of water each day for drinking, washing, cooking and sanitation. In 1990 there were a billion people who weren’t getting adequate water supplies. It would take only one percent of the world’s water to end the danger of drought worldwide if all of the world’s water was useable. That’s not the case. Much of the world’s water is locked up in the oceans, too salty to drink. A large portion of the rest has been rendered undrinkable by man made pollution.

Some natural disasters are as old as history itself. One of the first recorded locust infestations hit Egypt around 2,000 B.C. It’s recorded in the Book of Exodus. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many people died in that natural disaster, so we have no way of comparing it with the current locust infestation in North Africa.

The locust swarms recently affected Morocco, Algeria and Libya began several years ago in countries further south. A few million dollars worth of pesticides back then could have killed the locust swarms, ending the problem. But that was more than poor nations such as Mali or Niger could afford. Experts now believe it will cost $100 million to keep the locust swarms from infesting Egypt, Sudan and points further east. The swarms have already caused massive crop losses in Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Starvation could become a problem in those countries as the locusts devour grain harvests.

Earthquakes are another kind of natural disaster. On December 26, 2003 a major quake killed 30,000 people in Bam, Iran. Most of the houses destroyed by that quake have been rebuilt and the survivors have gone on with their lives. But experts warn that a major quake could destroy Tehran, the capital of Iran. That city’s lax building codes make it vulnerable to massive quake damage. Several fault lines run through the city. Some geologists have advised the government to relocate the capital. Such advice has been rejected because Iran doesn’t have the resources to move 12 million people. Turkey is also very vulnerable to earthquakes.

The worst natural disaster in world history happened on December 26, 2004, off the northern coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It began as a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, one that sent massive tidal waves across the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami even killed people in Somalia, thousands of miles away.

As of June, 2005 225,000 people were confirmed to have been killed by this tsunami. Most of the victims came from Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka. Many experts believe no one will ever know the actual death toll. Many bodies were washed out to sea and may never be recovered. If all of the people reported missing since the disaster are included among the dead, then the death toll could reach as high as 330,000. The death toll from this disaster may be greater than the 300,000 killed by the cyclone that hit what is now Bangladesh in 1970, the previous worst disaster in world history.

How Do People Explain the Tsunami?
Those less religious consider the tsunami to be proof that there is no God. Such people wonder why God didn’t warn those living in the disaster zones of the coming tsunami. But in a subtle way, God did warn South Asia of the coming disaster. On Christmas Day, 2004, zoo animals in the disaster zones refused to come out of their cages according to a January 4, 2005 article published by National Geographic. In the wild, elephant herds fled to higher ground and flamingos abandoned low lying nests. Some experts believe that animals have a sixth sense that lets them sense the coming of a natural disaster.

People in the worst hit areas have reacted differently to the disaster. This disaster affected members of all major religions, Christians and Hindus in India, Buddhists in Thailand, and Muslims in Indonesia’s Aceh Province and the Maldive Islands.

Some Muslims in Indonesia believe that the tsunami was God’s judgment on the country for adopting Western ways and “abandoning” Islam. According to a January 10, 2005 article in Newsweek, some Muslims view the tsunami as something that must have a hidden, positive purpose. Others Muslims believe that Allah is using the tsunami to test his people.

Buddhists in Thailand and Sri Lanka see the tsunami as punishment for sins committed in past lives, a concept called karma. They are likely to try to generate good merit or karma that can be transferred to the deceased to help them in the next life.

The Hindus in southern India that were affected were mainly fishermen who worship a variety of local gods. They believe that these gods can destroy and create as well as provide them with fish to eat.

In the West, far from the disaster zones, some Christians see the tsunami as God’s judgment on countries that have rejected the gospel. Others view it as God’s way of demonstrating His might. But most Christians are more concerned with helping those in need than in explaining this unprecedented disaster. Thus, you will read about and pray for efforts of Christian organizations that went out to help those in need no matter what their religious background.

What Should Christians Do?
The South Asia Tsunami opens a door to show God’s love and share the message of salvation with the survivors of this disaster. Already Christian relief agencies, such as World Vision and World Concern, have provided food, water, medicine and clothing to those in need. Some of these organization have also rebuilt destroyed homes.

But problems have arisen in some countries. In India some Christian relief agencies have been denied access to tsunami survivors because the government felt that they were more interested in winning converts then helping those in need. Indian officials still remember bitterly of how Christian relief agencies required people to sit through evangelistic sermons before receiving aid, during the aftermath of the Gujarat earthquake several years ago.

In our zeal to save souls, Christians must remember that Jesus never set preconditions for receiving aid. The Parable of the 10 Lepers expresses our Savior’s attitude on this matter. Jesus healed 10 lepers and told them to show themselves to the priest at the Jerusalem temple. Only one of them returned to thank Jesus for his healing. Christian relief workers must be willing to accept similar odds. Perhaps for every 10 people helped only one will be give thanks to God.

Let’s Pray!
In order for the South Asia Tsunami to be the spark for presenting the gospel to unreached people groups, we need to pray. Ask God for open doors and open hearts. In the past Sri Lanka and Indonesia have restricted the activities of Christian missionaries. In India, Christian relief agencies have faced opposition from government officials, many of them Muslim or Hindu. Pray that the Christian relief agencies working in the disaster zones would be able to fulfill their pledges to the countries they are operating in. In the past, relief agencies failing to deliver all the aid they had promised have caused resentment in many countries. This has been more true for secular relief agencies than Christian ones. Meeting commitments will be a powerful witness to the survivors of this disaster and their governments. May God use the South Asia Tsunami to bring salvation to some of the most unreached people groups in the world.