Living in Tornado Alley we watch weather about as much as we watch Sooner Football. In fact if a storm blows up hours from where we live, Gary will preempt programming so the rest of the state may watch the potential calamity. We are glad for the warnings. It’s just that sometimes, the lack of night vision and distance keep us from really wanting to spend the evening listening to Val cast about in the dark chasing a storm that will never reach us.
Well, a storm reached the Twin Cities complete with tornadoes. The fact that it damaged a church caught the attention of some in the area. John Piper offered his take. Greg Boyd has responded. Marty Duren even examined the story. Talk about a perfect storm. Those aware of the differing theological frameworks these two view the world from could well create another storm.
In 1999 what was considered the largest tornado in history at the time hit just south of our church. We are quite the churched area. That is, there are plenty of churches for a tornado to hit. Ridgecrest Baptist Church was razed. The BridgeCreek Church of Christ was not. Neither was Snow Hill, Woodland Hills, First Baptist Church, Newcastle. Not to mention the other dozen in the city limits of Tuttle. Not one time would we or could we ascribe such devastation to a particular act of judgment on that church.
A detective told me the tornado destroyed a number of clandestine meth labs. Was that the reason for the mile wide tornado? I don’t know. Boyd makes a point. It seems that in the land of plenty on the continent of wealth, God may be as concerned today about missing the needy as he was incensed in the Scriptures. In order to draw attention to that it may well be some of our churches and some of our more affluent members of the Christian faith would be expected to experience more than our share of God’s judgment.
Now maybe we should be listening to Gary. We really do not pay attention to the Scriptures.