Robertson is guilty about making a heartless comment about Haiti’s troubles. But, Robertson did not cause the suffering. Indeed, it might also be said that the earthquake did not cause the suffering. The suffering is Haiti in caused by heartless corruption over the last several hundred years, not only by those in Haiti, but by many who had dealings with them. The lack of infrastructure, the pervasive poverty, the crushing reality is an evil contributed in varying degrees of significance by a wide variety of humans.

Yet, human contributions to evil seems an unsatisfying conclusion. Because, ultimately when we speak of evil we cannot conceive of how a natural event like an earthquake can cause overwhelming suffering. So, again, we turn and accuse God. We accuse him of looking the other way. Or we accuse him of not being powerful enough. Or we accuse him of not even existing.

This is the catching place for so many. The trouble with it is that it blames God for the troubles and rejects the total answer which is suggested.

The Christian Scriptures, at least, are pretty direct about not giving a conclusive answer to why bad things happen. This is most directly seen in the story of Job. The question of why evil has influence is probably the most important one challenging any religion.

While evil happens, the question of God is not stuck on the evil that happens but on what happens next.

So, in the face of evil can we say there is a God? Yes, but we cannot look only at the evil. We have to look at the fact there’s hope even still.

That is the reminder Jurgen Moltmann, and others, have argued. He was a soldier in WWII who found out about the holocaust while a prisoner of war. Yet, rather than settling into a profound spiritual distance, he experienced the presence of God that gave him confidence that God was true and God was real. Yet, in this experience there was still not clarity. He became a theologian. He became a theologian who reminded the church, and the world, that we cannot look at evil and then blame God as though evil has won. We can see evil, mourn for it, be disgusted by it, but still have hope.

After WWII there was hope for Europe even still. After this earthquake there is hope for Haiti, even still. And this hope goes beyond what we see in the present. The hope, the driving, transformational hope, is that we are not lost in the evil, nor does the evil give ultimate definition. There is hope for the suffering that there will be an end to the suffering and a renewal of joy after it. There is a hope for those who mourn that there will be an end to the mourning and a renewal of life after it. There is a hope to those who are oppressed that there will be an end to the oppression and victory after it. This hope can live in us in the present so that we can resist the evil now, not being crushed by it but instead in manifold ways say that this evil isn’t as it should be. We can fight for the hope in helping others, in freeing others, in giving others hope that their experiences do not define them, but there’s more to life. And the hope is not limited to some distant, ethereal future. It’s a hope we can offer to people now. And in offering that hope we can taste more of that hope in our own lives.

The more who live in this hope, the more evil is resisted, and even more can live in the joy and freedom of truly lived life.

The earthquake devastated Haiti. The earthquake wasn’t itself evil, but overwhelmingly illustrated the pervasive evil of corruption and all else that went into Haiti’s present state. But, there’s hope that all Haiti has been, all that it is now, is not the destiny of Haiti. This horror is evil, but it is not the end. And if we’re speaking of God in this topic we have to keep in mind what end he declares. And we can have hope that his end is a righteous, a just, and an enlivening end. That is the testimony of the resurrection. The cross is not all we are to bear. There is resurrection.

Without this hope we are left thinking that all there can be is this earthquake, is our horrible childhood experiences, is whatever else dark and corrupting that is seen in our worlds. It doesn’t have to be like this. It is not supposed to be like this. And we can be either people who fight against evil or people who enable it. And if you’re the former, you’re on the good side of hope. And if you’re on the side of this deep hope, I have to think that you’re on the side of God.

Pat Robertson added yet another cringe-worthy contribution to public theology conversations. Haiti’s troubles, he said, are due to the pact they made with the devil as they fought for their freedom against Napoleonic France.

First off, no amount of denouncing Pat Robertson will be enough to either a) get news folks to realize he doesn’t speak for Evangelicals, let alone Christians in general and b) to get those who don’t like Christians to use his words as an example of how Christians hate.

I think Robertson may have been a faithful leader at some point, but he’s long drifted into being a hack corrupted by his own perverse search for power and wealth. He’s the Evangelical Jesse Jackson.

Theologically, I think there is something to be found in the idea that participation with evil spirituality does bring consequences. This isn’t just for those with deals with the devil. It also applies to those who have deals with God. In the OT, remember, Israel is never exempt from God’s punishment. They are called to walk with God, and when they veered outside his bounds for too long, well they got blasted again and again for it. The various power grabs and distractions throughout church history can be seen to have consequences. Indeed, it seems that those who claim God’s authority are expected to live up to God’s call in their lives.

Haiti’s long connection with voodoo and strong spirituality with a turn away from orthodox Christianity leads to an acknowledgment that negative spirituality has consequences.

Yet, in understanding there are consequences to such infatuation with evil, and willful engagement with very questionable spiritual forces, does not mean that we then have the right to judge, or condemn.

Jesus turned his anger to the religious leaders of his day, after all. He, again and again, showed compassion for those who faced the consequences of evil. He again and again helped the poor, the sick, those caught up in horrendous consequences.

So, however we want to debate the issue of old pacts, or present spiritualities, that doesn’t really affect how we are called to respond to disasters like this. We are called to help. To pray for them. To suggest that the power of God can overcome all evil, that pacts with the devil mean nothing in the face of grace. We are called to show light in this present darkness and give good news to those who now are flooded with absolute misery–good news that isn’t rhetorical but involves real help, real assistance, real and palpable aid.

I think of Luke 13:1-5 here.

Are the Haitians sinners? Yeah. Are we? Yeah. We’re all in need of grace, because we all are equals in our pacts and mistakes. If the Haitians somehow “deserved” this because of some pact, so do we all. So does Pat Robertson, and no doubt he’ll be reminded of this fact, probably before too long.

The Christian response is not to condemn Haiti in the midst of their horrible suffering. The Christian response is to pray for them, to reach out to them in their suffering, to do what we can in practical ways.

Right now, at 2:18pm, the sun is over the equator.

Happy Autumn!!

Squeaky maintains much of the character of a wild eastern gray squirrel.

She hides nuts throughout Saites’ apartment and “chatters” when she feels threatened. She climbs and jumps from furniture and cracks open nuts with her front teeth.

But her docile personality and the natural ease that Saites has with animals has allowed Squeaky to live the good life – a life of three meals a day, a warm bed and unconditional love.

Meet Squeaky

As of 8:44 Pacific Time, right now, the sun is now directly over the equator. Night equals day. Day equals night.

Autumn has arrived!

This might be the only year my whole life where I hope this season, my favorite, gets over very quickly.

Right now, at 4:59 PDT the sun is exactly over the Tropic of Cancer.

Happy Summer!!

Ann Althouse, a law professor at UW Madison, is beginning a very interesting project. Interesting, at least to this one time history major.

She’s started a blog called the Time that Blog Forgot. Each day she is going to go through the New York Times archives on a random year, going back 100 years, and blog about the news of that day.

This is especially fun to me because it is such a more thorough version of what I attempted back in 1994 or so (pre-blogging!). For a history methodology class I went through the microfiche of old New York Times and sought to get a contemporary view of the Civil War.

Here’s that paper.

You’ll need a bit more New York Times online access to read the full articles she is posting, but even the little bits in her post make for a very fascinating journey through history.

Very fun!

President Bush welcomes Pope Benedict XIV

PRESIDENT BUSH: Holy Father, Laura and I are privileged to have you here at the White House. We welcome you with the ancient words commended by Saint Augustine: “Pax Tecum.” Peace be with you.

You’ve chosen to visit America on your birthday. Well, birthdays are traditionally spent with close friends, so our entire nation is moved and honored that you’ve decided to share this special day with us. We wish you much health and happiness — today and for many years to come. (Applause.)

This is your first trip to the United States since you ascended to the Chair of Saint Peter. You will visit two of our greatest cities and meet countless Americans, including many who have traveled from across the country to see with you and to share in the joy of this visit. Here in America you’ll find a nation of prayer. Each day millions of our citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us. Millions of Americans have been praying for your visit, and millions look forward to praying with you this week.

Here in America you’ll find a nation of compassion. Americans believe that the measure of a free society is how we treat the weakest and most vulnerable among us. So each day citizens across America answer the universal call to feed the hungry and comfort the sick and care for the infirm. Each day across the world the United States is working to eradicate disease, alleviate poverty, promote peace and bring the light of hope to places still mired in the darkness of tyranny and despair.

Here in America you’ll find a nation that welcomes the role of faith in the public square. When our Founders declared our nation’s independence, they rested their case on an appeal to the “laws of nature, and of nature’s God.” We believe in religious liberty. We also believe that a love for freedom and a common moral law are written into every human heart, and that these constitute the firm foundation on which any successful free society must be built.

Here in America, you’ll find a nation that is fully modern, yet guided by ancient and eternal truths. The United States is the most innovative, creative and dynamic country on earth — it is also among the most religious. In our nation, faith and reason coexist in harmony. This is one of our country’s greatest strengths, and one of the reasons that our land remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for millions across the world.

Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that “God is love.” And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from “falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.”

In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred, and that “each of us is willed, each of us is loved” — (applause) — and your message that “each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary.”

In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this “dictatorship of relativism,” and embrace a culture of justice and truth. (Applause.)

In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but “in a spirit of mutual support.”

Holy Father, thank you for making this journey to America. Our nation welcomes you. We appreciate the example you set for the world, and we ask that you always keep us in your prayers. (Applause.)

Pope Benedict responds, and greets America with kind and deep words:

POPE BENEDICT XVI: Mr. President, thank you for your gracious words of welcome on behalf of the people of the United States of America. I deeply appreciate your invitation to visit this great country. My visit coincides with an important moment in the life of the Catholic community in America: the celebration of the 200th anniversary of elevation of the country’s first Diocese — Baltimore — to a metropolitan Archdiocese and the establishment of the Sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.

Yet I am happy to be here as a guest of all Americans. I come as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel, and one with great respect for this vast pluralistic society. America’s Catholics have made, and continue to make, an excellent contribution to the life of their country. As I begin my visit, I trust that my presence will be a source of renewal and hope for the Church in the United States, and strengthen the resolve of Catholics to contribute ever more responsibly to the life of this nation, of which they are proud to be citizens.

From the dawn of the Republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The framers of this nation’s founding documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the self-evident truth that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of nature and of nature’s God.

The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process, which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideas and aspirations.

In the next few days, I look forward to meeting not only with America’s Catholic community, but with other Christian communities and representatives of the many religious traditions present in this country. Historically, not only Catholics, but all believers have found here the freedom to worship God in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of a commonwealth in which each individual group can make its voice heard.

As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more human and free society.

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience — almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate.

In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good. Few have understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in Eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows time and again that “in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation,” and a democracy without values can lose its very soul. Those prophetic words in some sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality represent “indispensable supports” of political prosperity.

The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God. She is convinced that faith sheds new light on all things, and that the Gospel reveals the noble vocation and sublime destiny of every man and woman. Faith also gives us the strength to respond to our high calling and to hope that inspires us to work for an ever more just and fraternal society. Democracy can only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation.

For well over a century, the United States of America has played an important role in the international community. On Friday, God willing, I will have the honor of addressing the United Nations organization, where I hope to encourage the efforts underway to make that institution an ever more effective voice for the legitimate aspirations of all the world’s peoples.

On this, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity — as brothers and sisters dwelling in the same house and around that table which God’s bounty has set for all his children. America has traditionally shown herself generous in meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes. I am confident that this concern for the greater human family will continue to find expression in support for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress. In this way, coming generations will be able to live in a world where truth, freedom and justice can flourish — a world where the God-given dignity and the rights of every man, women and child are cherished, protected and effectively advanced.

Mr. President, dear friends, as I begin my visit to the United States, I express once more my gratitude for your invitation, my joy to be in your midst, and my fervent prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God bless America. (Applause.)

“my fervent prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God bless America.”

What a wonderful, wonderful way to end, challenging and complimentary, full of hope and life. I wish so many who have the same heart for much the same causes in this country would see how expressing hope, rather than anger, and peace, rather than disdain, and encouragement, rather than rejection, are fruit of the Spirit and lead to real progress.

Last month I took a bit of a detour from my normal reading and had a go at The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria (Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease). Here’s my Amazon Vine review:

Once upon a time there was a mosquito. And this mosquito carried something with her and gave it to everyone she met. Men in peculiar outfits sprayed all over the land, and the mosquito was banished, in that land at least.

This is the story of malaria. The story that I’ve heard.

But the actual story of Malaria is a lot more complex. Who would have, for instance, expected a history on a supposed tropical disease to begin with a study of a city in Northern Russia? The Making of a Tropical Disease does just that.

Honestly, this isn’t always a fun book to read. Some books are very good about inspiration and motivation and glide along in presenting the chosen perspective. This isn’t about inspiration or motivation. It is more ambitious. There are times in which it slows down and gets into details and spends a long time one what might seem a minor point. But, this negative isn’t really a criticism. These seemingly minor points are in fact important, and it is the tendency to gloss over such points that undermine so many attempts to respond.

This certainly is a well written book. Randall Packard is a very good writer, and even with my above comment I must add he does a wonderful job of making personal connection. In his journey through the history of where malaria spread he does not only relate facts and figures. He tells a story, and in telling that story has written a very, very solid history.

But more than a history The Making of a Tropical Disease is also really a book on global policy. Packard does not hide this fact. He is making the point that malaria is not simply a story about random mosquitoes who live in unfortunate places. Rather, malaria is a disease that responds to human interaction, and throughout history there is a direct correlation between policy, politics, land use, economics and the occurrence of malaria. Humans interact with this world, and this interaction is not neutral but rather creates changes. These changes can bring open the door to ill effects.

This is not simply asserted and then policies recommended that fit some pre-conceived political bias. Rather, Packard is very scientific and very good in his history, laying out clearly the practices and results that led to malaria in certain regions. He respects the use of sources and when making a leap in interpretation or dealing with a situation in which clear records might be sketchy he admits this. His interpretation of data, however, seems solid even when he must depend on inference.

Packard is laying an absolutely solid foundation to a holistic policy in regards to malaria, and more than malaria. In a way this is a very post-modern book. The pre-moderns suffered from nature. The moderns sought to conquer nature, overwhelming it. The mass application of DDT resulted. Packard builds a middle ground, arguing that we should neither be victims but nor should we deny our own impact. Instead, by understanding nature, malaria and mosquitoes and land and water and humanity, we can develop intentional policies that that reflect the unintentional answers to past malaria outbreaks.

This really is an extraordinary book. For those who are interested in diseases it makes for an interesting read. For those who are interested in global politics and policies it pushes beyond the usual responses and builds a solid case for real, lasting and healthy actions that can literally save lives and entire regions from decay.

My perspective on malaria was at the same time begun and provoked, leading me to see so much of global realities with a new understanding. Very few books can be considered transformational, but Packard really did transform my thinking.

This should be a required book for anyone involved in global studies.

Stuff White People Like. Or “how to fit into the emerging church scene”.

There’s a great website that is dedicated to listing what white people like. Things such as gentrification:

“White people like to live in these neighborhoods because they get credibility and respect from other white people for living in a more “authentic” neighborhood where they are exposed to “true culture” every day.”

Or study abroad:

“If you need to make up your own study abroad experience, they all pretty much work the same way. You arrived in Australia not knowing anybody, you went out to the bar the first night and made a lot of friends, you had a short relationship with someone from a foreign country, you didn’t learn anything, and you acquired a taste for something (local food, beer, fruit). This latter point is important because you will need to be able to tell everyone how it is unavailable in your current country.”

Or knowing what’s best for poor people:

It is a poorly guarded secret that, deep down, white people believe if given money and education that all poor people would be EXACTLY like them. In fact, the only reason that poor people make the choices they do is because they have not been given the means to make the right choices and care about the right things.

Or, maybe, Apple products:

On the surface, you would ask yourself, how is that white people love a multi-billion dollar company with manufacturing plants in China, mass production, and that contributes to global pollution through the manufacture of consumer electronic devices?

Simple answer: Apple products tell the world you are creative and unique. They are an exclusive product line only used by every white college student, designer, writer, English teacher, and hipster on the planet.

I woke up this morning thinking about a writing a post talking about some of my critiques of the emerging/missional church movement. I tend to be a cheerleader of it, and I think this hides some of the reasons I stepped away from it for a number of years, and only found my way back in a roundabout way. But, then I saw this site, and realized it’s getting at a lot of my pet peeves in a funnier way. And, getting at a lot of what I do like. I’m white, I know. I’m fine with the fact.

Well, well worth going through all the posts they have there. Hilarious stuff.