The conceits of science and other human foibles...

"World Helpless Against Assaults of Nature," reads the headline of a Washington Post article (http://snipurl.com/iepk) today. Hey now, there's a NEWS FLASH for you!

I've found myself reflecting on the earthquake in Pakistan along with the seemingly relentless series of natural disasters we've witnessed recently. The Tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December stands out as a sort of starting point. I called attention earlier (http://snipurl.com/if6f) to two that are presently before us and there were many posts related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

These disasters have cast a spotlight on disparities between rich and poor. They have brought fragile race relations to the surface. We've been confronted with resentments simmering between the first world and the third world. If we're paying close attention, presently there are many voices expressing deep frustration that these generally-ignored issues which finally managed to capture our attention now seem to be disappearing as quickly as they came.

I'm struck by the muted response here to the disaster in Pakistan. By every measure, and especially in terms of the number of fatalities, that disaster dwarfs Katrina, Rita and the other many recent disasters. Of course I've pondered why we're responding this way. Some things are obvious. Pakistan is very remote from us and when it comes to our ability to connect to something, geography matters. Then there's the culture contrast. Kashmir is exotic and strange to most Americans. And we can't honestly ask ourselves why without acknowledging the subsurface tensions between the world of Islam and the west.

I spoke about my own limited capacity for compassion in a post about a friend of mine presently suffering from cancer (http://snipurl.com/if7z). I'm not content about the state of my heart in this respect. In calling attention to it, I seek to deflect a potential defensive response to the observation that humanity in general tends to relate to these things rather callously.

At my church, a regular feature of the Sunday service is something we call "Prayers of the People." This is a time set aside for the congregation to pray corporately. In addition to prayer requests submitted by individuals in the congregation, we pray for international, national, denominational and local concerns.

I often lead this time as do a few others. The time devoted to prayers on behalf of our congregation is much greater than the time given to the concerns beyond our local body. If we look at that same ratio in our personal prayer times (should we have personal prayer times) I strongly suspect the same is true there. This says something about us, doesn't it?

And then I think about the times we've prayed as a congregation for these natural disasters. I prayed the Sunday following the landfall of Katrina. I remember vividly the collective sigh of compassion from the congregation and the empathetic expressions on the faces. I also have to say that it's apparent to me that such compassion has a very short half-life. It's ephemeral and dissipates quickly.

And then there are always the proclamations of God's judgment that follow in the wake of any natural disaster. I noted that Pat Robertson suggested in an interview on CNN (http://snipurl.com/if8o) that the magnitude and frequency of these disasters may indicate that the world is nearing the proverbial "end of days" spoken of in the Bible. Hal Lindsey agrees.

It seems that every "special cause" attributes the natural disaster to the fact that the victims of the disaster were/are violating the behavior they believe would elicit God's blessing rather than His cursing. If the doomsayers are pro-life then it's the practice of abortion that's leading to God's judgment. If they're "pro-family" perhaps it's the practice of homosexuality or sexual promiscuity or some other "anti-family" behavior that brings God's wrath. Some Muslims declared Katrina to be Allah's "jihad" (http://snipurl.com/ig07) against the Great Satan America.

I wrote a specific post (http://snipurl.com/ig0s) called "Prophets and Doomsayers" in which I tried to convey how uncharitable and counter productive I believe such declarations to be.

"The most helpful and redemptive response to natural disaster by God's people is generally acts of kindness and mercy. Meeting people in their vulnerability and at their point of need can soften hearts toward God, rather than harden them. I'm glad to say that many of God's folk are doing just that."

What is it about human nature that makes us so prone to heap sorrow upon sorrow?

In closing, let me briefly get back to the Washington Post article I mentioned early on. This is another facet of human behavior in the face of natural disasters that I find informative. This article describes the post WWII time frame as an era of boundless optimism toward what might be accomplished by science and technology. Gaining control over natural disasters was not outside the realm of possibility. Stop and think about it for a second. It's really rather stunning. Human hubris seemingly has no bounds. And here, perhaps we of all nations are most inclined in this direction.

I'm asking God to give me a bigger heart. I'm asking Him to expand my geographic and cultural boundaries. I want to be on the side of blessing and leave the cursing to others.