Is it worse now?

I had an interesting question asked of me last Sunday in church. And no this time isn't wasn't from an inquisitive 5 year old! Someone asked if I thought there were more tornadoes and stuff this year and what I thought of all this "stuff" going on in nature. Of course I had an answer right on the tip of my tongue..."I don't really know I said."

I don't know if there have been more tornadoes this year compared to others, or if they are just hitting populated areas this time around. Of course when they hit populated areas the damage is much worse and we hear about them a lot more. And on the subject of the floods, don't get me started...for thousands of years the rivers flood and nothing happens, then the human race comes along, builds dams and levees and thinks it is control. We build on flood planes and then cry whoa is me when they flood?!?! I'm not trying to downplay the devastation this water will cause cities and especially family's, but the human race's arrogance is mainly to blame there.

I think an implied question, that wasn't overtly asked, was where is God in all of this? A question that comes up often when a disaster strikes. I wish I knew why God allowed suffering to happen at all. Wouldn't it be nicer if we lived in a perfect world where there was no suffering? I suppose we'd call that heaven. One thought is we can't know good if we don't know bad. We don't know joy if we haven't experienced suffering. Another thought says that God just set the world in motion and stays out of its affairs like a watchmaker after he/she finishes the watch. I suppose another thought would be that God is punishing the people somehow.

I'm not sure I like any of those ideas. It is intriguing to think about some of the theories out there, except the punishment one, I don't buy that at all. I think God is right there suffering with the people. I do believe God could stop any of this from happening, but for some reason, known only to God, God chooses not to intervene in that way. I see God in the volunteers that pour in to help strangers, in the stories of people giving until it hurts to help neighbors, and in the renewed sense of community that is felt during the rebuilding efforts. God is there...weeping along with families that have lost loved ones and everything. God is there...when people are reunited. God is there even when God's name is cursed for letting this happen. I can't answer why it happens, but I am confident that God has not deserted us and continues to work through us to let God's love shine through. The question as always...are we listening for the still small voice?