Responding to World Crises

There was going to be a great famine throughout all the world.... Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabus and Saul (Acts 11:28-30).

The pictures of the massive earthquake and deadly tsunami that struck Japan last week kept us glued to the computer and TV screens , as we tried to imagine the horror and wrap our minds around the devastation. Our natural response was to want to help in any way we can--and well we should, as we nearly always do in the wake of some newsworthy crisis or disaster.

Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and called sinners to repentance while He walked this earth; He has commissioned us--His followers, the Church--to continue that outreach until He returns to set things right at last. And so we must. I applaud all who have responded to the tragedy in Japan, in Haiti, in Australia, in New Orleans, and anywhere human need has torn at our heartstrings over the last few years. But we dare not forget that in addition to bringing physical healing and nourishment, Jesus came to offer forgiveness to those who would admit their need to receive it. And that is the first priority of the Church.

The verses above tell us that believers responded to a predicted famine by giving as they were able, but they did so by way of other believers. That's an important point. Though I have no problem with giving to secular relief funds, I prefer to support Christian organizations that provide not only food and water and other physical necessities, but can also provide the gift of eternal life by presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a gift that all people, particularly the Japanese right now, need desperately. The percentage of Japanese who are truly born-again believers is estimated to be as low as 1 percent of the population. Whether that's a true figure or not, we do know that the percentage is extremely low. As horrible as the physical destruction is in Japan, the most pressing need is for hearts to be open to the Truth of Jesus Christ.

As we respond to this crisis with physical and material contributions, may we not forget the crucial, eternal-life crisis that faces each one of us--the need to receive Jesus as Savior BEFORE we take our last breath. None of us knows when that will be, as the recent earthquake in Japan so vividly illustrates. Let's pray with passion and diligence for a great revival to sweep over Japan, as well as around the world, as the Day of the Lord draws ever closer.

Tragedy and Fiction -LeAnne Hardy

For 45 seconds the earth shakes, half a city collapses, and 200,000 people die.  If it came out of Hollywood, we would say it was one of those ridiculous Apocalyptic movies with no plot but great special effects—except that this is real.  As real as a huge wave of water overwhelming coastal communities and sweeping away life as they knew it.  As real as airplanes flying into buildings that collapse on thousands.   Even as I write we are following news of another earthquake in Chile.  Thanks to the Internet and satellite TV, these images flash around the world instantly.  They make a dramatic background for fiction. 

But do we trivialize when we base fiction on such realities?

I have been reading Scared by Tom Davis, a novel about HIV in Swaziland that I first heard about on this blog.  It’s strong stuff.  The opening scene describes a 1998 raid by rebels on a town in Congo (formerly Zaire) where they murder the men, rape and kill the women, and pile the bodies to burn, desecrating them before they do.  Gruesome stuff, but, as a foreword from the publishers warns, this is reality.  Scared also describes scenes of child rape and near-rape.  I have worked with children affected by HIV in Africa, and I assure you that Davis describes nothing that is not true to life.

We often choose Christian fiction because we are sick of secular writers using gratuitous violence and explicit sex to sell books.  We want to be protected from all that.  But is there such a thing as being too protected—so protected that we lose our passion for justice and righteousness, that we forget how evil sin is—because we have glossed over unpleasant realities? 

I have been following The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog, the account of Troy and Tara Livesay, missionaries in Haiti.  (One of his beautiful photos opens this blog.) Tara ran the Disney Marathon with my daughter two days before the earth shook although the she and my daughter never met among the thousands running through the Magic Kingdom and around the lake at Epcot.  I have never met her family.  I knew nothing of their ministry before a friend passed on the link on Facebook.  But for me, reading their blog puts humanity on the things I see on TV and places my God firmly in the midst.  As a parent, one of the most poignant entries was when they took their six younger children (three of Haitian nationality) to the American Embassy to send them off with strangers on a cargo plane to the U.S.  I felt Tara’s relief when they got the message that the children were safe with family in New Jersey.  The Livesays have now gone to Texas for a time of healing with their children, but the blog continues to give me specifics to pray that will aid not just the general population of the country, but specific people who can be touched with the love of God.

Fiction can make us identify with realistic characters and so empathize with a situation beyond our comprehension.  The Livesay’s blog is not fiction.  It is current events.  Is it appropriate to use these huge tragedies in our fiction, or are we guilty of exploiting the suffering of others to sell books?  What limitations or qualifications would you put on fiction that uses tragedies like the Haiti earthquake as background?  Or are non-fiction accounts the only appropriate way to convey what happened?  Comment below and tell us what you think. 

------

LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her books for young people come out of her cross-cultural experiences and her passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will impact lives. Visit her at www.leannehardy.net .