Why did the bridge fall?
07/02/2009 08:29
I’m not sure about you, but the
subject of ‘divine providence’, has troubled me over many years.
Even from a young boy being raised in the Calvanistic tradition I
wondered about the perspective taught. If someone died, the view
was God was involved in that. Even if it was an ‘accident’, God
supposedly so tightly controlled things that He was closely
involved, and good would somehow come out of it. Of course I knew
that God wanted to bring good in all things, but that He caused the
‘accident’? My young mind couldn’t get it, nor as I grew older
could it then.
We were also taught that we were not puppets! I wondered further how there could be ‘accidents’ if all that regards God involvement in human affairs were true.
The most confusing part was actually knowing Him, knowing His nature, His character; which seemingly did not line up with this view of what I now know as ‘meticulous providence’.
I’m reading further on the subject, as of course it flows through to many areas of our life. For instance - prayer, why pray at all if God is in control of everything? A friend said once to my wife “Why pray, God is in total control, He will do what He wants to do, when He wants to do it”. Personally, I can’t cope with such views and so when I came across the attached articles a short while ago, I thought I’d publish them as I’ve found them quite helpful.
They don’t give a complete picture, hence I’ll be posting more under this heading “Why did the bridge fall?”
We were also taught that we were not puppets! I wondered further how there could be ‘accidents’ if all that regards God involvement in human affairs were true.
The most confusing part was actually knowing Him, knowing His nature, His character; which seemingly did not line up with this view of what I now know as ‘meticulous providence’.
I’m reading further on the subject, as of course it flows through to many areas of our life. For instance - prayer, why pray at all if God is in control of everything? A friend said once to my wife “Why pray, God is in total control, He will do what He wants to do, when He wants to do it”. Personally, I can’t cope with such views and so when I came across the attached articles a short while ago, I thought I’d publish them as I’ve found them quite helpful.
They don’t give a complete picture, hence I’ll be posting more under this heading “Why did the bridge fall?”
Putting my daughter to bed
2 hours after the bridge collapsed
John Piper
At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis
collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight
of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times
a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a
mile from the bridge.
There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we
crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on
the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the
bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth
anniversary of the bridge.
Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This
is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear
what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news
about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate
had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were
worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but
unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell
and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in
Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died,
deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He
said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning
response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.
All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times
worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this
planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not
treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of
people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our
churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.
The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit
his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my
mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for
the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of
this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and
destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering
escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.
We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for
the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let
anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and
tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that
was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and
they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody
of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is
wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said,
“With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding
up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”
Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.”
“Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”
I sang to her the song I always sing,
Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep, He never fails, nor does he sleep.
I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or
from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t
need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I
love you.”
Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night
again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in
these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.
The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t
build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly
currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may
drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all
the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)
Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went
before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will
make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your
sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25)
Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless
her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because
she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.
Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,
Pastor John
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again
Why the 35W Bridge Collapsed
Gregory A Boyd
As all of you know, I’m sure, a little over a week ago the 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. This
is the most traveled bridge in Minnesota. It was a tragedy, though the fact that only 13 people died
and/or are presumed dead is really amazing, especially given that this happened at the peak of
rush hour. The catastrophe is rendered especially poignant by the fact that it involved the failure of
human-made structure we instinctively trust. Like the Titanic, this collapsed bridge has become a
symbol of our perpetual vulnerability.
It’s also an occasion for theological reflection. A prominent local pastor in the Twin Cities reports
that the night of the collapse his eleven-year-old daughter wanted to pray that people wouldn’t
blame God for the event. He told her this was a good prayer since “blame” implies God did
something wrong. He assured her God let the bridge fall, in part because he wanted people in
Minneapolis to “fear him.” But, he assured his daughter, God isn’t to “blame” because he did
nothing wrong (www.desiringgod.org/Blog/745).
In this same blog the pastor discusses Luke 13:1-5 where Jesus responds to two catastrophes:
Pilates' slaughtering of some Galileans and the fall of the tower of Siloam that killed 18 people.
About both events Jesus asked his audience, “Do you think these people were more guilty than
anyone else? No. But unless you repent, you will all perish” (vs. 3-4, my paraphrase). This pastor
interprets Jesus to be saying that “everyone deserves to die,” for “all of us have sinned against
God.” And this, he insists, is “the meaning of the collapse of this bridge…”
What is more, this pastor argues that catastrophes like this one are God’s “most merciful
message,” since they mean there’s “still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction.” For this
reason, the message of the collapsed bridge is “the most precious message in the world.”
Now, I respect this pastor as a man of God, but this teaching honestly concerns me. I’ll make four
points in response to this blog.
First, his interpretation of Luke 13:1-5 assumes that God was somehow involved in Pilate’s
massacre and the falling tower of Siloam. He thinks Jesus was teaching that the ultimate reason
the Galileans were massacred and the tower fell on people was because “everyone deserves to
die,” and Jesus was simply saying to his audience; “You’re as guilty as they are, and you’ll die too
if you don’t repent.” But where in the text is there any suggestion Jesus assumed God had
anything to do with either of these catastrophes?
In fact, if you read on five more verses, you come upon another catastrophe Jesus confronted: a
woman who had been deformed for 18 years. Rather than assuming that God was somehow
involved in this deformity, Jesus says this woman was bound by Satan (13:16). He then manifested
God’s will by healing her.
This is what we find throughout the Gospels. They uniformly identify infirmities (sickness, disease,
deformities, disabilities) as being directly or indirectly the result not of God’s punishing activity, but
of Satan’s oppressive activity. So it is that Peter summarized Jesus’ ministry by saying he was
anointed “with the Holy Spirit and power” and “went around doing good and healing all who were
under the power of the devil” (Ac 10:38).
In light of this, I see no reason to accept the assumption that drives this pastor's exegesis.
Second, while I agree with this pastor that all people are sinners who deserve to die, I wonder how
the death of Christ factors into all this. Scripture teaches that Jesus died “not just for our sins, but
for the sins of the whole world” (I Jn 2:2). If so, then why is God still in the business of physically
punishing people for their sins by sending catastrophes? Wasn’t Jesus’ sacrifice enough?
Certainly God has the right to punish people by taking back the life he gives when he sees fit (e.g.
Acts 5:9-10). But in the light of Calvary – and the entire ministry of Jesus – why should we think
that this is his post-Christ ordinary mode of operation? Isn’t the Good News good precisely
because, despite our sin, Jesus came to give us abundant life (Jn 10:10)?
Third, and closely related to this, the model of God bringing about disasters to punish people is
rooted in the Old Testament. Here we several times find God using nature and human agents to
punish people. (Though even back then this wasn’t God’s normal mode of operation). But in these
contexts, God first gives ample warning about a coming judgment and he tells people exactly what
he is doing. Punishment without teaching is not pedagogically effective.
Imagine a parent saying to their child, “I’m going to spank you whenever I want to but not tell you
why.” It just doesn’t work!
Now, God is no longer working within the framework of the Old Covenant in which these judgments
have meaning, so we have no reason to think God is still trying to teach people lessons by sending
disasters. But even if were to suppose he was still operating this way, where are the warnings and
the teachings? If God was in fact collapsing the bridge to make people in Minneapolis “fear him,”
as this pastor claims, why didn’t God establish a context where the people would understand what
God was up to and have a chance to repent?
I can make my point this way. How many non-believers in Minneapolis do you think interpreted the
bridge collapse as an expression of God’s wrath? And of these, how many were moved to turn to
God out of fear? I’m thinking it's probably close to zero. If God was trying to get people to fear him,
it simply didn’t work. But it did cost a number of lives and inflicted misery and sorrow on many
more. It was a harsh spanking without any helpful instruction, and thus was unhelpful while being
costly. Is this the way the God revealed in Jesus Christ operates?
Fourth, and finally, if you accept that angels and humans are free agents who thus have the
capacity to go against God’s will, there’s simply no need to appeal to a vindictive divine purpose to
explain why catastrophes like this collapsed bridge happen. As Scripture depicts the matter, the
world is oppressed by rebellious, evil powers that in a variety of ways and at a variety of levels
have corrupted nature. As I’ve discussed at length in previous blogs, nothing in nature operates
exactly the way God originally intended it to operate.
On top of this, we humans have allowed ourselves to be co-opted in the epoch long battle these
powers are waging against God, so we too have become corrupted. We thus don’t have the right
priorities, which in part is why bridges we build sometimes collapse. Think about it. To give one
illustration, we are generally much quicker to spend billions of dollars on war than we are making
sure people are safe (and adequately fed).
There’s undoubtedly plenty of blame to go around for why this bridge collapsed, ranging from fallen
cosmic powers to a wrongly prioritized government to the wrongly prioritized people who elected
these officials into office without holding them sufficiently accountable. But if you accept that God
created a world with free agents, the one being you don’t need to blame is God.
If, on the other hand, you don’t accept that the cosmos is populated with free agents who can
therefore make decisions that are contrary to God’s will, then you have an even greater problem.
(This is the camp the pastor whose blog I’m discussing is in). For in this case one has to explain
how everyone can deserve to die when everything every person has ever done, however sinful,
was part of God’s great plan from the start!
Not only this, but if angels and people don’t have free will that can go against God’s will, then it’s
no longer adequate to say God “allowed” a bridge to fall. You have to say God “caused” the bridge
to fall. Other agents may have been instrumental in bringing about the collapse of the bridge, but
they only did what God’s sovereign plan decreed they do. So one is fudging words to say God
“allowed” the bridge to fall and that God is not to blame for the bridge falling.
In the end, this view requires that we accept that God punishes people with catastrophes – and
then eternally in hell -- for doing precisely what he predestined them to do. Good luck making
sense out of that!
I suggest it's far more biblical, and far more rational, to simply say that in a fallen, oppressed world,
bridges sometimes collapse -- and leave it at that. Rather than trying to see the vindictive hand of
God behind catastrophes, it’s wiser to simply acknowledge that the world is an oppressed place
where things sometimes go tragically wrong and focus all of our mental and physical energy
turning from our self-centered ways to carry out God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven.”
That, after all, was what Jesus was getting at in Luke 13:1-5.
John Piper
At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis
collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight
of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times
a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a
mile from the bridge.
There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we
crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on
the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the
bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth
anniversary of the bridge.
Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This
is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear
what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news
about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate
had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were
worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but
unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell
and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in
Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died,
deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He
said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning
response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.
All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times
worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this
planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not
treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of
people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our
churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.
The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit
his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my
mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for
the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of
this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and
destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering
escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.
We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for
the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let
anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and
tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that
was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and
they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody
of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is
wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said,
“With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding
up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”
Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.”
“Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”
I sang to her the song I always sing,
Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep, He never fails, nor does he sleep.
I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or
from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t
need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I
love you.”
Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night
again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in
these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.
The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t
build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly
currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may
drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or
famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all
the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able
to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)
Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went
before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will
make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your
sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25)
Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless
her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because
she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.
Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,
Pastor John
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again
Why the 35W Bridge Collapsed
Gregory A Boyd
As all of you know, I’m sure, a little over a week ago the 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. This
is the most traveled bridge in Minnesota. It was a tragedy, though the fact that only 13 people died
and/or are presumed dead is really amazing, especially given that this happened at the peak of
rush hour. The catastrophe is rendered especially poignant by the fact that it involved the failure of
human-made structure we instinctively trust. Like the Titanic, this collapsed bridge has become a
symbol of our perpetual vulnerability.
It’s also an occasion for theological reflection. A prominent local pastor in the Twin Cities reports
that the night of the collapse his eleven-year-old daughter wanted to pray that people wouldn’t
blame God for the event. He told her this was a good prayer since “blame” implies God did
something wrong. He assured her God let the bridge fall, in part because he wanted people in
Minneapolis to “fear him.” But, he assured his daughter, God isn’t to “blame” because he did
nothing wrong (www.desiringgod.org/Blog/745).
In this same blog the pastor discusses Luke 13:1-5 where Jesus responds to two catastrophes:
Pilates' slaughtering of some Galileans and the fall of the tower of Siloam that killed 18 people.
About both events Jesus asked his audience, “Do you think these people were more guilty than
anyone else? No. But unless you repent, you will all perish” (vs. 3-4, my paraphrase). This pastor
interprets Jesus to be saying that “everyone deserves to die,” for “all of us have sinned against
God.” And this, he insists, is “the meaning of the collapse of this bridge…”
What is more, this pastor argues that catastrophes like this one are God’s “most merciful
message,” since they mean there’s “still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction.” For this
reason, the message of the collapsed bridge is “the most precious message in the world.”
Now, I respect this pastor as a man of God, but this teaching honestly concerns me. I’ll make four
points in response to this blog.
First, his interpretation of Luke 13:1-5 assumes that God was somehow involved in Pilate’s
massacre and the falling tower of Siloam. He thinks Jesus was teaching that the ultimate reason
the Galileans were massacred and the tower fell on people was because “everyone deserves to
die,” and Jesus was simply saying to his audience; “You’re as guilty as they are, and you’ll die too
if you don’t repent.” But where in the text is there any suggestion Jesus assumed God had
anything to do with either of these catastrophes?
In fact, if you read on five more verses, you come upon another catastrophe Jesus confronted: a
woman who had been deformed for 18 years. Rather than assuming that God was somehow
involved in this deformity, Jesus says this woman was bound by Satan (13:16). He then manifested
God’s will by healing her.
This is what we find throughout the Gospels. They uniformly identify infirmities (sickness, disease,
deformities, disabilities) as being directly or indirectly the result not of God’s punishing activity, but
of Satan’s oppressive activity. So it is that Peter summarized Jesus’ ministry by saying he was
anointed “with the Holy Spirit and power” and “went around doing good and healing all who were
under the power of the devil” (Ac 10:38).
In light of this, I see no reason to accept the assumption that drives this pastor's exegesis.
Second, while I agree with this pastor that all people are sinners who deserve to die, I wonder how
the death of Christ factors into all this. Scripture teaches that Jesus died “not just for our sins, but
for the sins of the whole world” (I Jn 2:2). If so, then why is God still in the business of physically
punishing people for their sins by sending catastrophes? Wasn’t Jesus’ sacrifice enough?
Certainly God has the right to punish people by taking back the life he gives when he sees fit (e.g.
Acts 5:9-10). But in the light of Calvary – and the entire ministry of Jesus – why should we think
that this is his post-Christ ordinary mode of operation? Isn’t the Good News good precisely
because, despite our sin, Jesus came to give us abundant life (Jn 10:10)?
Third, and closely related to this, the model of God bringing about disasters to punish people is
rooted in the Old Testament. Here we several times find God using nature and human agents to
punish people. (Though even back then this wasn’t God’s normal mode of operation). But in these
contexts, God first gives ample warning about a coming judgment and he tells people exactly what
he is doing. Punishment without teaching is not pedagogically effective.
Imagine a parent saying to their child, “I’m going to spank you whenever I want to but not tell you
why.” It just doesn’t work!
Now, God is no longer working within the framework of the Old Covenant in which these judgments
have meaning, so we have no reason to think God is still trying to teach people lessons by sending
disasters. But even if were to suppose he was still operating this way, where are the warnings and
the teachings? If God was in fact collapsing the bridge to make people in Minneapolis “fear him,”
as this pastor claims, why didn’t God establish a context where the people would understand what
God was up to and have a chance to repent?
I can make my point this way. How many non-believers in Minneapolis do you think interpreted the
bridge collapse as an expression of God’s wrath? And of these, how many were moved to turn to
God out of fear? I’m thinking it's probably close to zero. If God was trying to get people to fear him,
it simply didn’t work. But it did cost a number of lives and inflicted misery and sorrow on many
more. It was a harsh spanking without any helpful instruction, and thus was unhelpful while being
costly. Is this the way the God revealed in Jesus Christ operates?
Fourth, and finally, if you accept that angels and humans are free agents who thus have the
capacity to go against God’s will, there’s simply no need to appeal to a vindictive divine purpose to
explain why catastrophes like this collapsed bridge happen. As Scripture depicts the matter, the
world is oppressed by rebellious, evil powers that in a variety of ways and at a variety of levels
have corrupted nature. As I’ve discussed at length in previous blogs, nothing in nature operates
exactly the way God originally intended it to operate.
On top of this, we humans have allowed ourselves to be co-opted in the epoch long battle these
powers are waging against God, so we too have become corrupted. We thus don’t have the right
priorities, which in part is why bridges we build sometimes collapse. Think about it. To give one
illustration, we are generally much quicker to spend billions of dollars on war than we are making
sure people are safe (and adequately fed).
There’s undoubtedly plenty of blame to go around for why this bridge collapsed, ranging from fallen
cosmic powers to a wrongly prioritized government to the wrongly prioritized people who elected
these officials into office without holding them sufficiently accountable. But if you accept that God
created a world with free agents, the one being you don’t need to blame is God.
If, on the other hand, you don’t accept that the cosmos is populated with free agents who can
therefore make decisions that are contrary to God’s will, then you have an even greater problem.
(This is the camp the pastor whose blog I’m discussing is in). For in this case one has to explain
how everyone can deserve to die when everything every person has ever done, however sinful,
was part of God’s great plan from the start!
Not only this, but if angels and people don’t have free will that can go against God’s will, then it’s
no longer adequate to say God “allowed” a bridge to fall. You have to say God “caused” the bridge
to fall. Other agents may have been instrumental in bringing about the collapse of the bridge, but
they only did what God’s sovereign plan decreed they do. So one is fudging words to say God
“allowed” the bridge to fall and that God is not to blame for the bridge falling.
In the end, this view requires that we accept that God punishes people with catastrophes – and
then eternally in hell -- for doing precisely what he predestined them to do. Good luck making
sense out of that!
I suggest it's far more biblical, and far more rational, to simply say that in a fallen, oppressed world,
bridges sometimes collapse -- and leave it at that. Rather than trying to see the vindictive hand of
God behind catastrophes, it’s wiser to simply acknowledge that the world is an oppressed place
where things sometimes go tragically wrong and focus all of our mental and physical energy
turning from our self-centered ways to carry out God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven.”
That, after all, was what Jesus was getting at in Luke 13:1-5.