CCP136: On God and Natural Disasters

Jan 24, 2025

Natural disasters provoke a wide range of responses about God's role. Some feel anger, others seek explanations, while many find strength in faith. The discussion explores theodicy, examining how suffering intersects with free will and divine love. It emphasizes growth through adversity and the empathy that arises from shared pain. Personal stories highlight resilience, illustrating how faith can transform tragedy into hope and connection with the divine. This thought-provoking dialogue invites deeper reflection on the complexities of suffering.

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INSIGHT

God's Sovereignty

Remember that God is sovereign and directs history.
Individual events are hard to interpret; avoid assuming you know God's specific intentions.

INSIGHT

Theodicy and Suffering

Theodicy explores God's goodness alongside suffering.
No theodicy fully satisfies the emotional pain of suffering.

INSIGHT

Free Will and The Fall

God gave humans free will, risking rejection but enabling authentic relationships.
The fall introduced death, dying, and a broken world, not God.

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In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss how when natural disasters strike (like the wildfires currently happening in California), it is fascinating to witness the spectrum of ways in which people claim God's involvement. There are some who express anger toward God, wondering how He could allow such things to happen. Some argue that God must have caused the natural disaster as an act of His judgment. Others praise God for helping them to cope with the losses and the rebuilding of their lives. So which is it? What role does God play, if any? Is He a destroyer? Is He a Savior? Or, put another way, where is God in the midst of pain and suffering?

Episode Links

The need to explain the fallout of natural disasters or other forms of pain and suffering that we all face, is something that every religion or philosophy needs to answer for - not just the Christian faith. Dr. White pulled from several sources that you may be interested in reading that will help you understand who God is in the midst of our pain and suffering, and inspirational stories to help you stay strong in your faith. These include:

Philip Yancey, Where is God When It Hurts?

Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place

Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking

Dr. White also delivered a series at Mecklenburg Community Church that you might be interested in, to take a deeper dive on this topic. The series is simply called “Why?” with installments that explore: Why Is There Evil and Suffering? Why Me, Why This, Why Now? Why Isn't God Answering My Prayers? and Why Would God Send Good People to Hell? You can find this series at Church & Culture HERE.

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