Disaster and Karma

The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 killed an estimated 230,000 people and devastated countless homes and properties. Included in the destructive wake was a small island of sea nomads who suffered great loss of life, homes, boats, and natural wildlife, which they relied on to survive. 

A Christian missionary approached them asking how he could help. Rather than asking for money, new homes, or new boats, the sea nomads wanted an answer to their most urgent question: “Why did this disaster happen to us?” Buddhist monks had earlier answered their question by telling them their karma was the cause. The good and bad of their past lives determined their karma, and the disaster on their island was the result of their bad karma. The sea nomads had difficulty accepting that answer. How could so many people on one island have the same bad karma? It didn’t make sense. Now they wanted to hear the Christian answer. Why did this disaster happen to them? 

The missionary shared that God created a good world for us to live in, and intended good for our lives. Suffering only existed in God’s created world after sin entered it. Karma is not the reason for disasters—sin in the world is. Jesus addressed the sea nomads’ same question in Luke 13:1-5. Jesus taught that disasters do not indicate the victims are guilty of greater evil than those who escape disaster. Instead, He said that disasters are warnings of the ultimate disaster that will happen to all who do not turn to God. The good news, the missionary shared, is that one day sin, disasters, suffering, and sadness will be wiped away when we are with God in heaven.

Many of the sea nomads became believers and are serving Jesus today!