Though the Moutains Quake

One translation of Psalm 46:2 says, "Though the earthquakes come and the mountains fall into the sea we will not be afraid." Watching the pictures that come from the destruction in Haiti makes me wonder about the value of those words. I see the fear in the people's eyes and the shock on their faces.

So what does the writer mean that they should not be afraid? God isn't stupid. God knows that there are some really good reasons to be afraid. I believe God is in the middle of all that destruction and rubble with God's children so I know God understands their fears.

The ancients who wrote the words of the Psalms believed that the earth stood on "pillars" and those foundations could be "shaken." What is affirmed is that in the midst of the pillars being shaken and the mountains falling into the sea God is present.

What I see and hear a lot is how faith is shaken when the pillars of the earth come tumbling down. A terrible earthquake is an extreme example of how our world can collapse. People's world's collapse when the doctor says those words that the "results of the test are not good." Pillars shake when someone says, "I don't love you anymore." Foundations crumble when dreams disappear.

The reason I'm able to stay in this crazy, wonderful work of ministry is that I've come to see that though the mountains shake and fall into the sea both literally and figuratively there is an unseen presence that is underneath the pillars. That presence does not keep the foundations from shaking.

Some people have no use for a God who would "let that happen." The God of the Psalms never says that the pillars will not crumble. They will. God is beneath the pillars and beyond the fear. To fear does not mean that our faith is too weak. To fear means that we need faith when things come crumbling down and life makes no sense.

Jesus knelt down in a garden one night and basically said, "Hey dad can you maybe keep the pillars from crumbling, I have some other things I want to do?" The pillars crumbled anyway because this God decided to enter life in the midst of all the ruins...not fix all the ruins or keep the destruction from happening.

So we will again need to join in the healing of the nations as we seek to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti but think not that God was sleeping when the pillars shook. God has heard them shake before. There's no stopping the shaking because God is not a wizard pulling leavers or a magician who makes rabbits or earthquakes disappear.

Our God is one who promises that there will be a new heaven and a new earth where the pillars will not shake, but for now we have to reach deep and access faith. After Jesus did not get his request for the pillars to remain firm he walked out into the night and stepped into the destruction for us...and for those dear people of Haiti.

jody