please, let's not call them "acts of God"

Here is a story I found recently by a Niall Ferguson.

So the upshot is that life is meaningless. Akin to what Homer Simpson once said about cartoons "Cartoons don't mean anything, they're just a bunch of stupid stuff that happens." Happily the sovereign creator of the universe is not Homer Simpson or Niall Ferguson.

There are a few things I think I would like to add to Mr. Ferguson's discussion here. First he does not show a deep understanding of Christian theology. I sense here that he sees pious Christians wanting to blame others sin for natural disasters. While that certainly does occur (very openly in Islam as well) it is not a well balance Biblical stance to take. Wesley was correct to say this is the result of the curse due to the sin of Adam. Genesis 3:17 But where many get into trouble is to assume they are better then those whom disasters happen to. As Christ said about a disaster that occurred in his day, "... and those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:4-5 (NKJV). How God uses these acts differently between his children and those who are not is well describe by C.H.S. in my prior post. But He is the judge and the sovereign of the universe.

We are simply called to recognize that the worlds is not as it should be. It is full of sin and cursed. But if we realize this and repent before God admitting our need of him, we are given new hope for a future world where Christ will reign.

Mr. Ferguson seems frustrated that people turn to God in these circumstances such as Katrina. He would rather they turn to what? Believe in random acts of nature? The reason many refuse to see it his way is because there is no hope there. People find hope when they turn to God. Mr. Ferguson does mention in passing at the end a desire for human unity. While this makes some sense there is still little hope to be found in one another. Our power to save is, to put it lightly, limited. Our ability to love deeply corrupt. Do we have eyes to see our blindness Mr. Ferguson? Given the depth of all of our sin it shows the amazing Mercy of God that we are not all swallowed up right now like some were in the OT.

John Piper address the passage of Luke 13:1-5 very well here.