'It was the worst of tiimes, it was the best of times' – this modified quotation from Charles Dicken’s “A Tale of Two Cities” very aptly describes the scenario pertaining to disasters, as well as the response of the Malaysian Church, writes DR NG SWEE MING.
Disasters, be they natural or man-made, always result in suffering and deaths – from small localised floods affecting merely a few households to catastrophes like earthquakes and tsunamis involving an entire nation or groups of nations.
Disasters have happened throughout man’s history but now the frequency appears to be increasing at an alarming rate. Various causes have been proposed and the commonly-touted ones are global warming, environmental mismanagement and deforestation.
As Christians, we cannot help but see the correlation between what is happening in the world today and what God’s Word says will happen in the end-times.
Jesus taught His disciples regarding “the signs of the coming of the end of the age” (Matt. 24:3b), that there will be false teachers and teachings, wars and rumours of wars, “nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom” with “famines and earthquakes” (Matt. 24:4–7). He also said that these are but just “the beginning of birth pains” (Matt. 24:8). These Scripture references from Matthew 24 and the parallel passage in Mark 13 are stark reminders of an uncomfortable impending reality.
How then can and should the Church respond at such a time as this? If we see the signs and understand the times like the men of Issachar from of old (1 Chr. 12:32), there must be a greater sense of urgency in our ministry for the Lord for we can only “work while it is still day, night will come when no one can work” (John 9:4).
The “Great Conclusion” will only come when ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ has been “preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.” (Matt. 24:14)
Bearing this in mind, the Church needs to get herself ready for the coming disasters, not only for the sake of self-preservation but for the deluge of hunger and responsiveness that often accompany times of crisis and disaster. In times of disaster, when people’s usual support structure and beliefs are shaken to the core, there is an openness to the Good News. As someone rightly pointed out, “There are no atheists during an earthquake.”
God’s people can and should be there to extend tangible, practical help and love, be it just in giving a cup of drink to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, medical help to the injured, or even just a listening ear to the grieving.
A demonstration of the love of God, with no strings attached, in many situations will invite the grateful recipients to ask “Why…?” This gives us the golden opportunity to share the Good News – all because we have walked the talk. This was the experience during the recent disasters in Indonesia and Pakistan, as well as in our very own backyard – Johore and Malacca. Alas, because Christians and congregations were not ready or prepared, the resulting response was patchy and not so well coordinated.
Disaster is happening all around us and Malaysia is extremely blessed to be spared from much of the devastation that has affected neighbouring countries. Even the flooding that has occurred in our nation can in no way be compared to what happens in countries like Bangladesh year after year.
Is it not timely for the Church in Malaysia to rise up and play a more proactive and significant role in this whole area of disaster response, bearing in mind its importance in God’s end-time plans?
Ad-hoc, uncoordinated disaster response by wellintentioned churches, individuals or small groups of Christians is good and commendable. However, it is inadequate, possibly ineffective in the bigger scheme of things and definitely unsustainable.
In contrast, a unified, well-prepared and structured response drawing on the combined resources of the entire Body of Christ, both in terms of availability of man-power and professional skills as well as finances, will be much more effective and sustainable in any given disaster.
The Malaysian Church at present is far from this ideal situation. We can and must do much better if similar disasters recur, but “good disaster response” is not something that will just happen by itself – much time, effort and finance must be invested in identifying, mobilising, training and equipping Christians within the confines of a local church or better still inter-church /denominational context.
I am proposing that the Malaysian Church and her leaders seriously consider putting in place people and resources for quick and concerted disaster response. We all need to catch the vision and this must be followed by setting aside the necessary personnel with proper training and equipment. ‘Disaster Response’ as such, should be viewed as part of the missions outreach in any church requiring the support and encouragement of church leadership.
In conclusion, times of disasters may be the “worst of times” but the response shown by God’s people can turn it into the “best of times”. What the devil intended for destruction and evil, God through His people can turn it into something good (see Gen.50:20).
Dr Ng Swee Ming is married to Dr Ng Kok Moi, a dental surgeon by training who has been serving full-time in their church, SSMC, Petaling Jaya. Besides his medical practice, he actively serves with CREST, a Christian-based disaster-relief organisation.
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