Why Disasters?

You’ve probably wondered why, if there’s an omnipotent God, why does He let disaster happen?

That’s a good question, one that I asked years ago after a really bad earthquake in Los Angeles that brought down both buildings and bridges. Both believing in God and not understanding, I began to pray and meditate to find out why the world seemed to be falling apart and that people were dying indiscriminately due to natural disasters. Why, I wondered, are there more earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes than there used to be? And why do you allow them?

In those days I meditated both morning and night. So, while in prayerful meditation I asked, why?

Suddenly, from where I sat in Cave Junction, OR, I found myself above Los Angeles and overlooking the entire area, including the city and the mountains beyond it. In the vision I saw very large areas of blackness emanating from the city, mixed with very tiny patches of white light. 

As happens in visions, I instinctively knew the darkness represented the absence of the Divine; only in the very small patchesof light was there a Divine presence. 
    How can God—omnipresent—not be there?  To understand that you have to be familiar with the first chapter of the Book of Genesis (Click here for brief quote) where God gives dominion over the planet to mankind.  Because the world no longer belongs to the Divine—He’s like a distant landlord—God’s essence is only present in those who are Spirit-led.  Without those few, God is not here.  Therefore, the light in the darkness represented where those who are Spirit-led are.  The darkness represented areas where there is no Divine presence, meaning there was no one there representing God.  
    Because of this vision I now understand that the Spirit of the Divine is only operationally present where God’s people are—meaning those who trying to serve God by caring for others; for wanting others to have as much or more than they have; by helping out where needed. What is sad is that the dark patches so far exceeded the areas of light. 
    What does this have to do with earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes? 

God’s love is the glue that binds our planet—and indeed—the universe together. Because this is our world and we are free will individuals who have been given dominion over it, God doesn’t interfere. He’s only actively present wherever God-knowing people are; through them He works wonders.  If you are seeking God, He is in you and you radiate and emanate God.  If He isn’t, you do not. Through you and others God holds the planet, the weather and everything under control. Without the Divine in us, it all falls apart.
    Sound like a fairy tale?

It isn’t.

In today’s society fewer and fewer people are followers of The Way.  There are more and more who are perverting spiritual truth and twisting it to their own advantage.  This means God is being driven out and His presence is loosening. As a direct result there are more and more natural disasters of every type all over the world that will just continue to get worse.

Those first children of God, called Adam in the Bible, comes from Adamas, meaning the earth. Adam means, from the earth.  Those early people were holy and given dominion of the earth—they were the to be the caretakers of the planet. But even they succumbed to self-centered desires and threw it all away.  It’s no wonder that we, who don’t walk as close as the first people, have a hard time and stray so far.  Free will has its flaws indeed.

You want to save the earth so it’s a good place for your children to grow up in? Seek God through prayer and mediation and then take Him into the world with you wherever you go. We do that by offering our life and all that we are to God.  The interesting thing is that when we do this, we suddenly feel free.
    When we do this we begin to love one another as God loves us.

Jesus told His followers—who were flawed people just like you and I—”You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hiddem. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand so that it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” No one is perfect—not even His followers, but they were Spirit-led.

When you belong to God that light that shine is not your light—it’s the residing Spirit of God within you. 

Only when the world turns to God as our Father will peace reign—and I mean peace in our heart and peace on our world. That’s what Jesus meant when He told His apostles that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Everything Jesus commanded does nothing more than make the world a better place! 

Genesis 1 (NRS):

26. Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

27. So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28. God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29. God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.

31. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (NRS Genesis 1) (Back)