Why did a tsunami inundate 14 Asian countries in 2004? Why did Hurricane Katrina swamp New Orleans? Why did 15 tornadoes touch down within two days in America's Heartland last February? Floods, mudslides, wildfires, ice storms, the occasional volcano..... Natural disasters happen all the time, all over the world. They're part of our infinitely organized but sometimes devastatingly active universe.
The question isn't "Why Haiti?" It's "Why is it so bad?"
God created a world with dynamic forces and gave it to us. He also gave us an intellect and the right to exercise it freely. We use it to manipulate natural forces to grow food, cure illnesses and make all kinds of other advancements. Other elements of creation are destructive, but we can mitigate their severity.
Or not. In Haiti's case, a kleptocratic government and a self-serving elite gorged themselves on foreign aid while common people remained impoverished, malnourished, unemployed and living in crowded shanties with open sewers. Earthquake resistant buildings did not exist there.
The population lived near a fault line that generated a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, casting them into a nightmare. Mother Nature was nasty, but the exercise of free will for selfish ends made the disaster far worse than it might have been.
We often act against our best interests. Harry Truman was a guy who refused to leave his home on the slope of Mt. St. Helens as it exploded. Bangladeshis occupy sea level land that floods during monsoons. The San Francisco Bay Area sets atop four fault lines. We know the risks but can't resist taking them.
Why is free will so important to God? Why does a loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God let free will go unchecked? Wouldn't God want to make life easy for those he loves, even if it meant withholding free will?
Well, no. God's most important desire is for man to love Him, and genuine love is given without inducement. Here's an example: suppose a distant uncle sent you a regular check for no particular reason. Would you love him? You'd feel something as long as the payments kept coming, but you probably wouldn't yearn to learn what he's really all about. If the money stopped, your good feelings would dissipate and you'd be left with nothing more than the material things the money bought. God isn't looking for sham love like this, and won't bribe us for it by making us materially happy and pain-free. He wants us to focus on who He is and love Him for the right reasons.
Our trials pale in comparison to God's gifts. He provides standards that direct us through life, strength through prayer, forgiveness that reduces our burden of guilt, and peace. And overshadowing it all is a promise of eternal life that keeps us forward looking and and puts our trials - even earthquakes - in perspective.
The hardships we endure are part of a finite life that transitions into eternity. Those looking back from heaven would no doubt agree that God's modus operandi is sound.
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