Facing the Effects of Tsunami
Judi Chow

The pastor of the church I am attending in Hong Kong left yesterday for Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a city that was forever changed by the effects of tsunami on Dec 26, 2004. He took a team on a very special short-term missions trip. No, they will not have much of a chance to share the Gospel verbally. No, they probably will not be able to help much during their short stay. Why does one risk getting contaminated? Why would anyone put himself or herself in such close contact with death? All those bodies wrapped in plastic were bad enough on TV. All the rotten smell, torn down buildings, rubble everywhere, rolls and rolls of pictures for family and friends to identify the missing or dead. Why not just send money, bottled water, food, blankets, or whatever they need. Why go? 

The same question could be addressed to any missionary, starting with Jesus! 

Jesus came not only out of His obedience to the Father, but also out of His unconditional love for mankind, for you and me! This same love compels the team to go. They went with a mission… to share that love beyond boundaries and religious beliefs. They also wanted to see how Chinese Christians could help in rebuilding the city of Banda Aceh. I am looking forward to seeing how this trip’s ripple will change all of us in a more direct and positive way. 

People are asking why this God of love is allowing/ causing this great tragedy to happen. 

Over 150,000 lives were taken so far, all those innocent children too! I am not here to discuss the theology of suffering nor try to pretend I have the answers. Maybe it is one of the signs of the end times, the earthquake, the numbers of dead, injured, and missing. Maybe Jesus is coming back soon, maybe not. What matters is how we are responding to this disaster as individuals. It is easy for those of us to give out of abundance. What touched me was seeing a picture of an Afghanistan man in Kabul who gave out of his poverty; he gave what’s in him, his blood! 

Almost twenty years ago, a friend of mine was struck with cancer while everybody else asked why? Why me? He asked why NOT me? He left a wife to raise three young kids. It was heart wrenching, yet God has moved people to shelter this family and Godly men to be father figures to the kids. God’s grace is sufficient. The oldest boy is close to graduating from university now. Life is still precious, but we cannot claim that each one of us deserves eighty years on earth. 

I encourage you to look beyond what is seen, try to focus on the unseen. God still sits enthroned during the tsunami and never doubt His love!