I am still waiting to hear some intellectually and morally challenged Christian to lay out an I-told-you-so to those suffering in the wake of the devistating events on the gulf coast. And although there is a general lack of public editorial at the moment, my bet is that there are many who have internalized a position of judgment being cast down upon the godless and immoral (which means that it will only be a matter of time. . .). This prompts me to toss out an immediate and preemptive point of view.
To put forth that this destruction is the direct result of incurring God's wrath does not accomplish much (indeed, nothing) in the way of caring for and saving the victims. In fact, the results would be more catastrophic as it removes the final ounces of hope from those who are hurting and further drives the wedge between them and their creator. Rather than achieve all of this we should acknowledge (along with the hurting) that there exists real evil and destruction in the world, but God is at work to right the wrongs and those who endure in their faith will find that it will be worth it.
Having said that, it is important to address the evil and pain that has occurred and is still occurring at this time. The murdering, raping, looting, rioting, and chaos is indicative of an ethical and moral loss which has been going on for some time. I do not believe that God has somehow directed this storm to attack and destroy this area. However, he has allowed the choices that have already been made to be carried forth by those who have already rejected him. In their exchange of the truth of God for the ability to live by their own morality, they have chosen a path that led them away from God - and now he has allowed them to live in that choice.
Consequently, we have people who are acting without morality and ethic as the rules of might-makes-right come into full effect. Those who have argued long and hard against the need for a standard of ethic and rule of law are now able to see a "society" which operates in such a way. And they blame God because he "allowed" this to happen - they who told God they did not want anything to do with him now wonder why he is strangely absent. Except those who are destroying themselves and their hope of rescue. These act out their worldview and demonstrate the reign of anarchy.
The postmodern relativist thinker typically holds the following position:
"Christian ethics is fine for the Christian community. However, do not try to make them applicable outside of your community. Each community determines its own ways." One may keep Christian morals as they are demystified and disinfected of any residual absolutism.*
Now, in the wake of inconceivable destruction, we can see the fruits of this worldview which has been sewn for the past years in our culture. And this is evidence that the church still needs to work its way back to the table of public opinion.
For now our focus must remain on those who are reaching out, that we might respond as adequate representatives of him who already holds out his arms to them.
Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000), 193. Note: this quote does not represent the author's view, but is used in the course of his argument.
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