Bible Rebel

The news and images coming out of Nepal are almost impossible to process. A catastrophic flash flood triggered by a collapse of ice, rock, and mountain debris near the Nepal–Tibet border has ripped through entire communities. As of today, Reuters reports at least 579 people dead in Nepal, nearly 2,000 still missing, and more than 90,000 affected. Roads, bridges, homes, and villages have simply disappeared beneath mud and debris. (Reuters)

And inevitably, someone asks the question Christians sometimes try too hard to dodge:

If God is good, why does He allow this?

Jesus actually addressed this kind of question. In Luke 13, people brought Him news of sudden, horrifying deaths. His response was not, Those people were worse sinners and God punished them. In fact, He rejected that idea.

“Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay…” — Luke 13:2–3 (KJV)

The Bible does not teach that every earthquake, flood, cancer diagnosis, or collapsing mountainside is God personally targeting someone for punishment.

It teaches something much bigger—and harder.

We live in a creation that is not yet what it was intended to be. Paul says “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together” (Romans 8:22). Human beings die. Bodies fail. Mountains move. Rivers flood. Nature itself is subject to decay and disorder.

Christianity does not give us a neat little explanation that makes hundreds of crushed families somehow feel acceptable.

And the Christian hope is not that God promises to stop every disaster today. It is that disaster, death, and grief do not get the final word.

Revelation ends not with humanity escaping the world, but with God making it new:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying…” — Revelation 21:4 (KJV)

So What?

Until then, the Christian response to Nepal shouldn’t be theological smugness or doomsday predictions procaliming that “the end is near.”

It should be compassion, prayer, generosity, and help.

Don’t ask, “What did they do to deserve this?”

Ask instead: “What can I do for someone who is suffering?” Because our mission is to reflect the coming restored, perfect creation into this current dark and broken world.

Where is God in Nepal? He is in the prayers, giving of resources, and physical presence of His image bearers.