At Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, classes were cancelled on Monday, Oct. 29, because of the devastation of Hurricane Sandy on the northeastern coast of the United States.The loss of lives is above 100, and the economic impacts of the hurricane remain largely unknown. It is estimated that the damage is in excess of $60 billion. LaGuardia Airport in New York was flooded and more than 1,800 flights were cancelled in the first few days of the hurricane. More than 100 homes were burned to the ground in New York’s Breezy Point or washed away by the hurricane, and eight million citizens were without electricity.
When classes resumed the following day at our school, faculty members gathered to reflect upon what God and the Hurricane Sandy have in common.
Caleb Oladipo
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Many citizens of the United States are pragmatic, and they often come together to solve common problems.When natural disasters strike, Americans are among the most responsive people in the world to face the challenges together and process relief efforts.We do this with uncommon heroism, and assisting one another during times of natural disaster is one of the best examples of “American exceptionalism.”
Although I have seen people elsewhere come together to help one another, it is particularly heart-warming in a culture characterized by individualism to see this unity in the face of adversity time and time again, in order to give support. Perhaps we have a strong sense of belonging to one another. But we can interpret our coming together as a part of our belief that God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. In a positive sense, we can shape our own destiny when we face natural disasters and misfortune.
However, what strikes me most forcefully during the events of the past weeks was that following the devastation of the Hurricane Sandy, many analysts who came to the television to assess the damage were economists, insurance adjusters, politicians and meteorology experts.What I did not see on television was an assessment of the natural catastrophe on religious or theological grounds.
My observation was that in our analysis of the hurricane, economic and ecological concerns far outweighed our collective theological explanation. Scientists and economists offered their best opinions and analyses, but the interpretations of religious leaders about what God might be saying to us in the midst of the tragedy or the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth about how to care more responsibly and effectively for the environment or the ozone layers were conspicuously lacking. The overshadowing, by other voices, of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who healed the sick, walked on water and stilled the storms, was palpable.Are our resources so infinite that we no longer need God or those who could interpret God’s words for us during times of vulnerability?
It is very perplexing and disturbing to note how quickly we relegated the “God talk” to the periphery, as if God is irrelevant or inconsequential when we face major disasters like Hurricane Sandy. How can we be so dismissive of the opinions of pastors or religious leaders when we face such fundamental challenges?
This does not mean that Americans do not believe in God. A large majority still does. It does not even mean that the opinions of religious leaders or experts do not count. What it means is that we now perceive God differently than most Christians in the southern hemisphere. It is exactly here that the church in the southern hemisphere provides another approach, in that God is a more integral part of their lives and existential condition.
The first line of interpretation when African Christians face challenges, for example, is to look for what God might be saying in the midst of natural catastrophe. When tragedy occurs, church members often consult with religious leaders at every opportunity. In some parts of Africa, God often takes the central stage of discussions during moments of misfortune or catastrophe. The tendencies, however, are to relegate human relief efforts to the background, claiming that God is in control and will watch over believers and guide them in love during moments of misfortune or natural disaster.
In some extreme cases, many Christians in the global south believe that everything comes from God and to God will everything return. God is like the invisible third party in all of life, and the holy fragrance in the orbit of every life is in control. God, in other words, is an injured third party in the midst of every raging superstorm or hurricane, and human beings should not worry because there is little we can do about it. In Kenya, Christians would even say with jest and boisterous laughter — Hakuna matata, whatever will be, will be! Don’t worry! Therefore, human beings should not concern themselves.
While Americans often see what humanity can do, Christians in other cultures tend to look with the eyes of faith or predestination for what God will do. So, returning to the relationship between God and Hurricane Sandy — does God control human destiny or do we create our destiny when we face natural misfortune?
My colleagues at our seminary reminded me that a passive faith in God is hardly sufficient by itself, without active participation of human agencies to shape the future. Our relief efforts are consistent with faith in God. But, as members of the church in the global south would likely and correctly respond, our relief efforts and resources are still finite compared to God’s all sufficient abundance when we face challenges and catastrophe.
When we are poor, we tend to acknowledge God and depend on him when we face difficulties. But as we become more advanced in technology and more resourceful, we tend to depend less and less on God, and more and more on our capacities to face existential challenges on our own terms.
It is rather superficial to hold God accountable for natural catastrophe or to wait for God to act when nature threatens us with “hurricane” rage. But it is not enough to affirm the self-sufficiency of humanity when we face a natural tragedy of the scale and speed of Hurricane Sandy. What one can affirm in a theistic culture is that there is no mountain too high to climb when God is with us — or better yet, when we are with God.
Caleb Oladipo ([email protected]) is Duke K. McCall Professor of Christian Mission and World Christianity at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.