Echoes in Eternity

A friend of mine who serves with the global mission organization OMS just this morning sent out his newsletter in which he mentions a couple wonderful stories which came out of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

There were the outbreaks of people singing hymns of praise in the streets... people with no earthly possessions giving praise to God. Then, there was the President of Haiti who canceled the Mardi Gras celebrations and declared three days of fasting and prayer instead. Upwards of a million people showed up, and some accounts say that more than 40,000 people committed their lives to Christ during that event–more than 40,000 people who are finding refuge and strength in God for perhaps the first time in their lives.

Can anyone really deny that one likely reason for the earthquake was the repentance and salvation of thousands? If it were not for that natural disaster, thousands of people would have perished in hell, which is far worse than perishing here. God will gather His people, one way or another. It may just take a Job or Jonah moment to do it. Maybe Pat Robertson deserves a semi-apology (though he could have still phrased what he said much better).