Hubris in the face of tragedy

Dear Jesus,
Last week while I was at work the ground shook. It happened two days in a row, and both were only minor quakes, but it got me thinking about the probability of the Big One hitting the bay area again. Well the big one hit yesterday, but not here. It hit Haiti, and I think it is going to prove to be one of the most horrific occurrences the modern world has seen in quite a while. By now everyone has seen the grisly images and heard the statistics. The entire capital city flattened. Hundreds of thousands dead. Bodies piled in the streets. Disease and social disorder will be widespread in what was already the most impoverished nation in this hemisphere. But amidst all of the bombardment of the media with pictures of dead children and crushed buildings, we hear stories of hope, of humanity coming together to help those in need, and of the generosity of people the world over giving their money to help with the relief effort. These stories remind us that we are all one family, all children of God. They help us get through the tough times. But then we also hear the words of the prideful and the arrogant, who presume to know the mind of God, who in their shameful hubris claim that this disaster is divine retribution for a sin committed long ago by their forefathers. They say these things with the smug confidence that they are right. And the worst part is they say these things in your name.

Now I don’t presume to know the mind of God, and I don’t claim to be better than anyone. I am merely a fool struggling to make his way through a complex world, but I do know a few things about the character of Christ, and I find that the nature of Christ stands in opposition to what these people say and do in the name of Christ. And what’s worse is that these people are in a position of power, a position where they can lead their followers to extend their hands in love to assist those that need it, as the Good Samaritan did to the wounded man in the old parable. Yet they choose to judge and disregard, they choose to speak from a place of folly and ignorance, they do not consider what you would do, how you would want them to act. Forgive me Jesus for my own presumptuousness but my heart burns with anger when a “Christian leader” turns his back and disregards the poor, the meek and the needy with such insensitivity. Where is the compassion of Christ? Where is the love of God? Suspiciously absent in my eyes. These are the people who are supposed to be guiding your flock by example, yet I see more Christianity in the atheists on the ground making a difference. I see Jesus in the person who is reaching out for the sake of humanity. Now I know there are people there who are helping in your name, who are there with a genuine sense of compassion and love working hard in your name, putting their money where their mouths are, and I’m thankful for them! They are doing God’s work so please bless them for it. But as for pharisee’s like Pat Robertson? I can only pray that you soften their hearts towards people less fortunate than them, towards the poor, the needy and the downtrodden and that they can lead their flocks, their churches, in the right direction of serving their brothers and sisters in love, in the direction of true Christianity, not this socio-political ideology that passes for American Christianity. I guess until then, you wont be seeing me in church much.