A Real Act of God in Joplin, Missouri (The Act of God Came After the Storm)

American Thinker ^ | 05/31/2011 | Heather Carlton

[SeekAndFind]

What happened in Joplin, MO was not an Act of God.  It was a natural act of nature.  The storm came about because the weather patterns were right, but it would have happened there with or without the town of Joplin in its path.  The Act of God is was what came later.

Joplin will never be the same.  Our hearts are broken, but not our spirit.  I am standing on Range Line road looking at what was my town.  I see where the Academy Sports used to stand and near it our favorite pizza place, Pizza By Stout.  Behind me the remains of Home Depot.  It is hard to tell where you are as you survey the area.  There are no more street signs, all the familiar landmarks are gone.  As a good friend of mine, Elidia says, "It is all disappeared."  It is not what we all remember at all. 

While I look out, I think of the people who will never be there again as well.  You know those people who you see everyday at the stores, the ones who greeted you with a smile and were always there to help with a great attitude and a servants heart?  Picture them in your mind.  You may not know their names but some of those special people are no longer here. 

For some of us, it is family and loved ones who were lost and you can just feel the pain of the entire community.  Our hearts throb and ache as one.  The tension is absolutely palpable.  Not a soul here could begin to describe the pain and the anxiety we have all lived with and tried to sleep with at night. 

When the rain comes again fear wells up in all our hearts.  Will the storm come again?  The storms people once ignored that roll through our area regularly are now a source of grave concern.  There is a kind of hyper-sensitivity everywhere. 

When I look at all these things, I think of how this simple, normal act of mother nature has  destroyed our way of life and touched all of us.

However, when I look at how we reacted as a community I see the Act of God.  People from every surrounding community descended on Joplin.  They hurt when we hurt and lent that shoulder of support we all needed.  They cried with us and worked side by side with us.

I was lucky enough to be involved  recently in a feed, one of many that happened here.  We cooked and served food to survivors, rescue workers, and volunteers.  My company was very generous and the people I work with astounded me with their goodness and desire to help.  We reached out and touched a lot of people that day.

When you look into the eyes of someone who has lost everything, and tell them you are here for them and you care, that is where you see God.  When you hand someone a much needed drink of water, that is where you see your Act of God.  When you are crying together as a community and loving each other, that is an Act of God. 

So, I say the storm was not an Act of God.  What happened after the storm was an Act of God.  What we will continue to see as time passes and the re-building of our community inside and out, that is the Act of God.  We are a very lucky town, mother nature can not defeat us, we have God on our side.  Joplin will be fine, but thanks for your prayers.

Heather Carlton lives in a suburb of Joplin.

[Trust but Verify]

Great take on the immense tragedy. I have shed many tears reading the stories of those both lost and saved in the tornadoes in the south and Midwest. I cannot imagine any of their lives ever being the same.

[davisfh]

"What happened in Joplin, MO was not an Act of God. It was a natural act of nature."

I am amazed at the number of people who believe that any tragic event is an "act of God." God set everything in motion and, when an event such as this occurs, it is definitely an act of nature. When an automobile accident occurs and someone is killed, it is not an act of God.

[alancarp]

"What happened in Joplin, MO was not an Act of God. It was a natural act of nature."

I must steadfastly disagree with the opening premise. To believe that God was somehow not in control of this or any other thing is to also believe that there are things outside of the Almighty's control that can disrupt His plans, His will, His world, His people.

I do not believe in a God of "Oops - sorry about that." To do so neuters His power and makes us to believe in only the God of Sunny Days.

The words omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent are meaningful and tell us the character of God: he is indeed all powerful and can direct the storms as he pleases. He is nonetheless aware and knowing of the suffering, and with us through it all.

God Himself tells us this through Isaiah (45:5-8):

5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."

Yes, God is willing to take credit for the good and for the bad. He gives and He takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21).

[AnAmericanMother]

The old debate between God as the watchmaker and God as the 'hands on' God has really no application here.

"Act of God" is simply a legal term that doesn't mean God did it, but that no human agency was involved.

It's shorthand for "nobody was negligent, so you can't sue," or "nobody is responsible for this death, so there are no charges." The latter is sometimes called "death by the visitation of God." It doesn't mean God struck the person down, just that no human is responsible.

[stuartcr]

How can anything that happens, not really be an act of God? God knew long ago, each person that would die from this natural disaster, which He also knew was going to happen, didn’t He? Why couldn’t God have just had the people of Joplin build their city somewhere that He knew would not be hit by this a tornado?

[P8riot]

In the philosophy of first and second causes, God is the first cause, because he put the world in order, the second cause would be the natural one (i.e. the weather patterns). This is the same philosophy that declares God as sovereign over everything, but still makes us responsible for our own actions.

[thackney]

Salvation Army Responds to Central USA Tornadoes
http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-news/EC50500F9D5B95288025789B0043E33F?opendocument

https://secure20.salvationarmy.org/donation.jsp

[Salvation]

ACT OF CHARITY

O MY GOD, I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

[Wiser now]

On April 3, 1974 an EF5 tornado devasted mush of the nearby town of Xenia OH. One of the affected families were members of our church and our pastor worked closely with them, helping them get settled in a new home, etc.
Over and over again he kept hearing the comment “Look what God did to Xenia”. It disturbed him a great deal, and so, the second Sunday after the storm, when the family had recovered enough from their injuries to return to church, he made that comment the subject of his sermon.
Simply put, his message was “God created nature, but He does NOT control it.”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: “God created nature, but He does NOT control it.”

Didn’t God cause the red sea to part?
Didn’t God send the storm when Jonah tried to escape? Didn’t Jesus calm the storm when his disciples were afraid that their boat would capsize?

[alancarp]

Psalm 148:7-8 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, "

Sorry, I simply cannot subscribe to that philosophy.... that God wound up the clock and watches it tick.

Clearly, the scriptures teach us that The Almighty is not a reactive caretaker, but an active force -- Job 42:2 "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted."

Note that I do not dispute that there are literally thousands of "acts of God" that have followed these storms (Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri, et al, alike). This is where mercy is shown and needs are met. God's people are doing their jobs - to His ultimate glory.

[Wiser now]

For very specific instances and reasons, yes. As a general rule, no.
Jesus Himself told the disciples there was no need for Him to calm the storm. Remember, He was asleep during the storm, which He could have prevented before His nap and didn’t.

[P8riot]

That is not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is that God is ultimately the cause, but we must be careful when seeking to blame him for all of our adversity.

[davisfh]

"How can anything that happens, not really be an act of God?"

I like your philosophy and can use it to my advantage. When I sin, God knew that I would all along and there's nothing that I can do about it. I am nothing more than a puppet of God and have no control over my actions. I am therefore without sin. Does that make God the sinner?

[stuartcr]

No, I think it means that what we see as sin, doesn’t really exist.

[davisfh]

"No, I think it means that what we see as sin, doesn’t really exist."

I like that! This gets better all the time.

[stuartcr]

Good