I'm Okay with Pat Robertson

How's that title for stirring up controversy?

I caught the story of Pat Robertson's take on the Haiti situation on Wednesday evening and really, really wanted to post something in his favor, but wasn't able to squeeze in the time.



But, I think God had some processing for my thoughts to go through. The next day I spent some time with an employee who is from Haiti and was trying desperately to get back there - just to help. She talked about the little village she was from and how the beautiful little church she had grown up in was now rubble.

There were relatives she had not heard from.

I heard the shock in her voice and could see an empty sadness behind her eyes.

Maybe Pat Robertson was too harsh and quick to judgement in his statement.

Over the weekend I spoke briefly with a minister that had visited Haiti some time back, the abject poverty left a heavy impression on him.

How could someone talk about judgement to a people in such dire straits?

But I had watched Pat Robertson's statement about God's judgement and it seemed to me to be coming from the perspective of pity and compassion. He used his statement as a launching pad to solicit prayers for the Haitian people.

I don't know if the Haitian people made a "pact with the devil", and I don't know if this is God's judgement on that land. But I do believe that there is such a thing.

I do believe that when people choose a route other than obedience to God, consequences follow. And not because God is waiting up there to gleefully strike folks down that cross Him. Rather, I believe that God knows that disobedience will just naturally lead to consequences -consequences He would like for them to avoid.

If I snub my nose at the laws of gravity and seek to defy them by leaping off my roof. It is natural for me to suffer the consequences of such action. And if I survive said consequences and someone seeks to point out to me that I am suffering because of my disobedience - they are right! And I should thank them profusely!

Now I really think that there are times in which Pat Robertson says controversial things on purpose. And I don't always agree with them. However, if he truly believes that this quake is due to God's judgement, then his statement reflects a momentous act of kindness!

So I'm okay with him saying what he did. There were prophets in the Old Testament that were similarly ridiculed by the powers-that-be after they spoke of judgement.

Jeremiah's message to his nation was completely UN-patriotic! He was a constant "wet-blanket" even when the news looked positive. He told his people that because of their disobedience they would fall in defeat to their enemies and they would be carried away to a foreign land as slaves.

You can bet the king was not pleased with this guy.

But in the end, he was right. Because God sent him.

Now - if Pat Robertson is speaking the truth we will all know it some day. Until then, I'm okay with him saying what he did.