Randomly Repeating

Randomly Repeating: I have been reading about and downloading images related to the issue of “chaos theory”. Since January 12th it seems our friends in Haiti have gone from chaos to chaos. Yesterday on NPR radio there was a projection that 200,000 people in Haiti may suffer from Cholera in the next year. Port au Prince Hospitals serve 1000 people and they are over-flowing.

We communicate by email and phone with young leaders on La Gonave. They have been frightened but hopeful since the earthquake. Water and food have been more an issue than Cholera. The Norde winds more an issue than the passing of Tomas. This week the tone of emails changed. A young man who frequently discussed theological questions said some are losing faith and question what they have been told of Jesus.

Reading Christian history, and a study of the Psalms, is a journey through chaos. From Genesis to the current political elections and blog battles between liberal and fundamental, the theme is one of absolutes that aren’t, and positives with more question marks than aha’s.

It’s interesting that Google images of “chaos”, with game advertisements ignored, all seem to have some vague but persistent pattern. Chaos is never completely without some form, randomly repeating itself.

Following Katrina, we were asked if God had punished Bay St Louis because of casinos. Presentations relating Haiti’s history of years of violence and corruption, raise the question if God causes the suffering of hunger and water because of a violent nature of people and Voodoo?

Peter J. Gomes, in “The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus”, 2007, ends with a chapter titled “gospel of hope”. He understands the book of Revelation as a call to hope for the end of oppression and injustice. Yet, what New Testament writing has more chaotic narrative? Is perhaps the random pattern within the chaos of life, hope?

Joe just told me the US is sending 125 million dollars for cleanup of debris in Port a Prince, to be managed with the help of the international advisory committee. There’s a bit of hope!

Pastor Admirable has asked for teams to work in Anse a Galets, to complete a church with a history of conflict. To move forward we will have to address those issues. There’s hope in that.

Yet, where is the wisdom in building a temple in AAG while millions are homeless? What was the wisdom in Jeremiah purchasing a field as Babylon was conquering Jerusalem? Is hope randomly being repeated? God doesn’t “cause” the chaos, but is always there within it. Must we seek the pattern, randomly repeated, in the chaos? Could that be God, or hope, or justice, or….?

Pastor Shirley, November 13, 2010. Web: www.centralumclawrence.org