There are many so called prophets getting coverage on blog sites, talk back and emails at the moment. Some claim the earthquake is God’s judgement on the sin of the city, the liberal theology of the churches or a wake-up call of God.
I heard of one yesterday that claimed God sent the earthquake because Christchurch had become known as ‘Ch-Ch’- an abbreviation but also apparently a blasphemy that so angered God that he sent the earthquake.
I heard of one yesterday that claimed God sent the earthquake because Christchurch had become known as ‘Ch-Ch’- an abbreviation but also apparently a blasphemy that so angered God that he sent the earthquake.
Let me be blunt; this kind of prophecy is crap. It creates an image of an ogre God who is indiscriminate, petty and downright frightening. If you get emails with prophecies like these delete them. If you hear people talking about these kinds of prophecies please quote me – “this is just crap” (I’m quoting Steve Graham). It has nothing whatsoever to do with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
I have found Dean Peter Beck’s comments most helpful when he was asked where is God in this massive disaster?
"God is in all these people," says Beck, as his sweep takes in Civil Defence people, reporters hunched over laptops, police and army personnel in high-vis vests. God is in the midst of all this. God is weeping with those who weep. God is alongside those who are finding the energy to just keep going. God is in the people who are reaching out and seeking to sustain one another. God is about building community, about empowering people." Yes, but where was God was when offices pancaked and burnt and hundreds died?”
"Well," says Beck, "we live on a dynamic, creating planet that's doing its thing. For whatever reason, our forebears chose to build this city on this place. They didn't know we were on this faultline. God doesn't make bad things happen to good people. We make our own choices about what we do.”
"The core of my faith is that life is stronger than death, and love is stronger than hate. I bring that sense of belief in life into situations like this, which are dire and awful and deadly. “
And as Steve Graham (Dean of Laidlaw College here in Christchurch) wrote, “God’s word is not looking backwards but forwards to recover and rebuild a city”.
