Typhoon Causes Death and Destruction in the Philippines

 © 2013 The Wired Word

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On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan (called Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines) roared across part of the chain of the Philippine Islands with 150-mph winds, knocking over houses and killing thousands. Cargo ships were washed ashore, trees uprooted and power lines knocked down. Residents have been left without food or clean water, and relief efforts have been hampered by the loss of electricity and mobile connections. Towns look like war zones, with flattened buildings and bodies in the streets.

Haiyan is among the strongest storms on record and threatens to become the deadliest disaster in Philippine history, surpassing Tropical Storm Thelma, which killed 5,000 people in 1991. The Philippine government estimates that 9.5 million people were affected by Haiyan, with 600,000 people displaced from their homes.

The typhoon cut through the center of this island nation, scoring a direct hit on 10 percent of the population. The winds of Haiyan generated waves as high as two-story buildings, creating the look of a tsunami. Hardest hit was the city of Tacloban, where early estimates suggest as many as 10,000 people may have died. Hospitals have been gutted and pharmacies destroyed, with looters stealing medical supplies. "Help. SOS. We need food," wrote a survivor in large letters on the city's port.

"Tacloban is totally destroyed," said schoolteacher Andrew Pomeda to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families. People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food. I'm afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger." The Philippine government has deployed soldiers to deter further looting.

"It is really a massive disaster," said Sandra Bulling of the humanitarian agency CARE. "Aid is slowly getting through, and the local authorities have started distributing. But what the municipalities are telling us is, they're running out of their stock, and now they're really relying on international support." More than 30 countries are pledging aid, including the United States. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other Navy ships to head for the Philippines to assist the Philippine government and military in relief efforts.

A Filipino member of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia says, "The Philippines has had more natural disasters this year. Tacloban, specifically, was affected by the recent earthquake, and now the typhoon. I think they were caught unprepared because Haiyan was scheduled to hit Samar first. Usually, by the time a typhoon passes through Samar, then proceeds to Tacloban (Leyte Island), the winds have slowed somewhat. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Haiyan. People evacuated in Samar, but not so much in Tacloban." She and her husband are sending help through the Red Cross.

A member of the Wired Word editorial team writes: "Having lived through four hurricanes/typhoons, I am in shock about the magnitude of this storm and the scale of the devastation. Church agencies will be responding, both for rescue and recovery, and then for the rebuilding. Church World Service, Lutheran [Disaster Response], UMCOR, CARE, Red Cross, Salvation Army are all there or on the way. And they will coordinate with each other in a remarkable demonstration of the body of Christ. The most difficult thing for church agencies to promote to their members is long-term rebuilding. It is dull, mundane and plodding. And it is essential."

On November 11, one such response came from the United Church of Christ, which issued an appeal for $250,000. Plans are for the UCC to support early response and recovery efforts of interdenominational partners and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Says the appeal: "Initial response activities will likely include material resource provision, emergency shelter items, drinking water and cash for work programs."

More on this story can be found at these links:

Philippines Fears Massive Death Toll as Typhoon Haiyan Wreaks Havoc. The Washington Post
Typhoon Victims in Philippines Plead for Aid. Associated Press
Where Was God in the Philippines? CNN Belief Blog

The Big Questions

1. Where is God present in a natural disasters such as a typhoon, if at all?

2. How do you explain the death and destruction of a storm in light of God's plans for the world?

3. Where do you see evil in this tragedy? Where is there evidence of good?

4. Why are people more generous in their support for rescue and recovery than they are for rebuilding?

5. What factors contributed to the tremendous loss of life in the Philippines? What factors contributed to the loss of life being smaller than it might have been under different circumstances or in a different locale?

6. How should Christians respond? Be specific.

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

1 Kings 19:11-12
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. (For context, read 19:1-18.)

Queen Jezebel threatens the life of the prophet Elijah, causing him to flee into the desert. He becomes despondent, but God sends him an angel and a gift of food and drink. Then he takes a long journey to Horeb, the mount of God, and spends the night in a cave. God tells him to go out and stand on the mountain, "for the LORD is about to pass by" (v. 11). Elijah witnesses a great wind, an earthquake and a fire -- none of which contains the presence of God. Then, following a sound of sheer silence, Elijah receives clear directions from God about the future of his mission.

Questions: Why is God not in the wind, earthquake or fire, despite the fact that they are spectacular displays of power? What is the significance of the sound of sheer silence? How does it prepare Elijah to hear the word of the Lord?

Psalm 18:11-16
[The LORD] made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. (For context, read 18:1-19.)

This psalm is a celebration of a time when David was delivered from the hand of his enemies. It assumes that the power of God is seen in the forces of nature -- thick clouds, hailstones, lightning. But at the same time, God's clear intent is to deliver his faithful people from danger, whether the "mighty waters" are literal or figurative.

Questions: Where do you see the power of God at work in nature? What is the danger of attributing a particular natural event -- good or bad -- to the hand of God? How have you observed God's desire to deliver people from danger, if at all?

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (For context, read 46:1-7.)

The psalm celebrates God's defense of his people in a time of upheaval and turmoil. The promise is not freedom from trouble, but instead help in the middle of trouble. God's people do not need to fear changes around them because "the God of Jacob is [their] refuge" (v. 7).

Questions: How have you experienced God as a refuge and strength, a help in trouble? How does freedom from fear help people to deal with traumatic situations? Where do you see God at work in disaster zones such as the Philippines?

John 9:1-3
As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him." (For context, read 9:1-12.)

Over the course of human history, many people have assumed that bad things are supposed to happen to bad people, whether they suffer a physical disability such as blindness or a natural disaster such as a typhoon. Recall that some religious leaders saw Hurricane Katrina as God's judgment on America -- sometimes for contradictory reasons! -- using scriptures such as Psalm 107: "[The LORD] commanded and raised the stormy wind, ... [and turned] a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants" (vv. 25, 34). But Jesus takes another approach, suggesting that a man was born blind so that the work of God might be revealed in him. Then Jesus heals him of his blindness.

Questions: Why are people inclined to make a connection between hardship and sinfulness? When have you seen bad things happen to good people? How can the power of God be revealed in a traumatic situation?

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (For context, read 1:19-27.)

James urges his fellow Christians to "be doers of the word, and not merely hearers" (v. 22). To be doers of the word is to be quick to listen, slow to anger and able to control your tongue. It also involves avoiding worldly temptations and caring for people in need.

Questions: Although you are far from the Philippines, how can you help care for the people of that country who are in distress? What can be done to help not only with rescue but with rebuilding? How would this be an expression of pure religion?

For Further Discussion

1. How would you respond to a person who claimed that Typhoon Haiyan was a sign of God's judgment on a sinful people?

2. CNN's Belief Blog reports that "more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58%) than on an angry and punishing deity (38%), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute." Do you believe global warming was a factor in the severity of this storm? What about the fact that the U.S. has experienced a relatively mild hurricane season this year? Bearing in mind that people of faith hold widely varying beliefs about "climate change," is there anything in this arena that Christians in general can do to mitigate severe natural disasters in the future? What about Christians whose professional work and expertise are in meteorology, science and related fields?

3. In disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the typhoon in the Philippines, suffering is compounded by the fact that many residents are poor and living in unstable housing. What can be done to improve conditions and thus mitigate the effects of natural disasters in the future?

4. What role should the church play in rescue, recovery and rebuilding? How do you support this scripturally and theologically?

5. Where do you see vulnerability to natural disaster in your own church and community? How should you take action to be better prepared?

6. What can be done to strengthen connections between Christians in the United States and Christians in countries such as the Philippines? How will this help us to "bear one another's burdens [and] fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)?

Responding to the News

Investigate what your denomination is doing in response to Typhoon Haiyan, and think about how you can participate. Make a donation to you denominational effort or to the work of a relief organization such as the Red Cross. Pray for the people of the Philippines.