God is not angry with Cape Town, He is angry with Jesus.
For those who read this and do not yet know, the Western Cape, South Africa, is going through a terrible drought at the moment. Cape Town is especially vulnerable as "Day Zero" (the day when water levels are so low that water supply to suburban areas will be cut off) is less than two months away. It really is a crisis influencing many. People are scared, panicked.
So yesterday I read an interesting headline to an article that a friend posted on Facebook. It's about the famous farmer and evangelist, Angus Buchan, who apparently said that God is angry with the people of Cape Town and that it will rain when they repent. Harsh. My knee-jerk reaction was, of course, anger at these remarks. How can a merciful God be angry with Cape Town? How can a well-known and respected Christian evangelist make such claims? Isn't it irresponsible of him to make statements like that? Surely this isn't God's character at all! Jesus said that "God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Trying to make sense of it all actually kept me awake last night.
Then, this morning, by chance (or led by the Holy Spirit), I read Psalm 107. Surprisingly, it seems that it is well within God's nature to cause droughts and hardship "because of the wickedness of those who live there" (Psalm 107:33-34). Again, my first reaction was to look for reasons why this verse can be discounted. "It's from the Old Testament..." "Jesus made a new covenant that makes this passage obsolete..." "The Psalmist probably used poetic license just to bring a message across..."
I also remembered another passage: Psalm 139:23-24. David (the Psalmist) asks God to search his heart and test his ways. He goes on to ask God for a revelation of his own faults, wickedness, wrong, evil or offense (whichever translation you prefer) and to guide him in the right path. It seems that we may not always be aware of our sin and shortcomings. That's why this is such an important prayer to pray frequently: "Lord, search me, test me, show me where I fall short of your holiness and perfection, and lead me in the right way." Yes, even I, a professional Christian (I work at a church)...
Suddenly I recognise why I feel so uncomfortable with 'Oom' Angus's words; maybe even a little defensive. I don't like being wrong. I don't like being told I'm wrong either. I don't like the possibility that I may have some repenting to do. It's a very vulnerable place to be... Having a righteous, holy, just, almighty God search me to find faults and failures is uncomfortable at best, shameful and even painful at times. Why would I ask Him to search me in the first place!?
We have to keep in mind that Jesus also said we ought to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We are told to "worship the Lord with the splendour of holiness" (Psalm 96:9). I can't do that if I try to cover my sin or shortcomings by avoiding them, desperately clinging to the bliss of ignorant religion. I'm failing miserably to live up to God's standards. And if I deny my failings, I'm failing even worse.
The good news (or Gospel as it is also known) is that us falling short of God's holiness is not the end of the story. Because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we can be seen as holy and worthy enough of God's presence and forgiveness. We can get to know Him. We can spend time with Him without being rejected or destroyed by His holiness and glory. All because of Jesus. Therefore, we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). I have found that, when I pray the Psalm 139:23-24 prayer and God shows me stuff I need to repent of, I am not judged or unwelcome. He doesn't point out my faults and laugh and then leave them like that. No. I have found great acceptance, mercy and redemption when I confess and repent. His kindness leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4) and helps me live up to God's expectations for me. Pope Francis put it beautifully when he said: "The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord's mercy motivates us to do better."
Now, I don't agree with 'Oom' Angus completely. I do not think God is punishing Cape Town with a drought because He's angry with Capetonians. If that was so, Christ's suffering and sacrifice will have all been for nought. I do, however, think that we, all of us, should ask God to show us where we're going wrong and repent, regardless of our current water situation or geographical location. All of us. Not just Capetonians. Not just Republicans or Democrats. Not just liberals or conservatives. Not just people on the other side of the wall. Not just 'them.' All of us. And I dare you to try it. You'll find mercy there. Nothing less.
In the mean time, please pray for Cape Town and everyone affected by this drought.
So yesterday I read an interesting headline to an article that a friend posted on Facebook. It's about the famous farmer and evangelist, Angus Buchan, who apparently said that God is angry with the people of Cape Town and that it will rain when they repent. Harsh. My knee-jerk reaction was, of course, anger at these remarks. How can a merciful God be angry with Cape Town? How can a well-known and respected Christian evangelist make such claims? Isn't it irresponsible of him to make statements like that? Surely this isn't God's character at all! Jesus said that "God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). Trying to make sense of it all actually kept me awake last night.
Then, this morning, by chance (or led by the Holy Spirit), I read Psalm 107. Surprisingly, it seems that it is well within God's nature to cause droughts and hardship "because of the wickedness of those who live there" (Psalm 107:33-34). Again, my first reaction was to look for reasons why this verse can be discounted. "It's from the Old Testament..." "Jesus made a new covenant that makes this passage obsolete..." "The Psalmist probably used poetic license just to bring a message across..."
I also remembered another passage: Psalm 139:23-24. David (the Psalmist) asks God to search his heart and test his ways. He goes on to ask God for a revelation of his own faults, wickedness, wrong, evil or offense (whichever translation you prefer) and to guide him in the right path. It seems that we may not always be aware of our sin and shortcomings. That's why this is such an important prayer to pray frequently: "Lord, search me, test me, show me where I fall short of your holiness and perfection, and lead me in the right way." Yes, even I, a professional Christian (I work at a church)...
Suddenly I recognise why I feel so uncomfortable with 'Oom' Angus's words; maybe even a little defensive. I don't like being wrong. I don't like being told I'm wrong either. I don't like the possibility that I may have some repenting to do. It's a very vulnerable place to be... Having a righteous, holy, just, almighty God search me to find faults and failures is uncomfortable at best, shameful and even painful at times. Why would I ask Him to search me in the first place!?
We have to keep in mind that Jesus also said we ought to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). We are told to "worship the Lord with the splendour of holiness" (Psalm 96:9). I can't do that if I try to cover my sin or shortcomings by avoiding them, desperately clinging to the bliss of ignorant religion. I'm failing miserably to live up to God's standards. And if I deny my failings, I'm failing even worse.
The good news (or Gospel as it is also known) is that us falling short of God's holiness is not the end of the story. Because of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we can be seen as holy and worthy enough of God's presence and forgiveness. We can get to know Him. We can spend time with Him without being rejected or destroyed by His holiness and glory. All because of Jesus. Therefore, we can "approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). I have found that, when I pray the Psalm 139:23-24 prayer and God shows me stuff I need to repent of, I am not judged or unwelcome. He doesn't point out my faults and laugh and then leave them like that. No. I have found great acceptance, mercy and redemption when I confess and repent. His kindness leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4) and helps me live up to God's expectations for me. Pope Francis put it beautifully when he said: "The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord's mercy motivates us to do better."
Now, I don't agree with 'Oom' Angus completely. I do not think God is punishing Cape Town with a drought because He's angry with Capetonians. If that was so, Christ's suffering and sacrifice will have all been for nought. I do, however, think that we, all of us, should ask God to show us where we're going wrong and repent, regardless of our current water situation or geographical location. All of us. Not just Capetonians. Not just Republicans or Democrats. Not just liberals or conservatives. Not just people on the other side of the wall. Not just 'them.' All of us. And I dare you to try it. You'll find mercy there. Nothing less.
In the mean time, please pray for Cape Town and everyone affected by this drought.
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