Ds van Nieuwenhuijzen :: "Where art Thou God, This Unbelievable Destruction, Why?"

A dear friend handed me this sermon, held on Sunday February 8, 1953 in Rotterdam – 1 week after flood disaster of Zeeland in The Netherlands.

Remonstrants – Reformed Community

(Memorial Watersnoodramp:: Storm Surge Disaster of Sunday Febr. 1, 1953)

Hymn 21 : 2,3
Votum
Reply by the community
Bible reading : Psalm 93; Matthew 14: 22-33; Matthew 25: 34-40.
Prayer
Intertermediate, Hymn 241 : 1-6

SERMON:  

By Ds J.A. van Nieuwenhuijzen

This very morning, many persons will have awakened with the thought: “This can’t be true, it’s a dream, I will enter the living room and I will see them sitting all together, all together ….”. But the person speaking, must have seen the room out of the ordinary, heard strange noices, the voices lacking resemblance …. realizing, in utter dismay: “But it is true,  in the living room there are strangers seated around the table, lovable, friendly persons, but strangers: the one’s dear to me are not present, are gone forever … ”
And this man, this woman is one of many … .
One of many persons who does not realize, does not understand … .

None of us do understand.
Where art Thou God? Who-, how was this possible, the God in the image of His creation, this disaster could take place?
What is the purpose of this unimaginable destruction?
Where is the leadership of God, God’s Providence, that such could happen?
How did it happen, why?
Was God present? Is this His wish? But how is this possible, God’s wish? How could He wish such an awful event to pass?

We do not know. We must reflect. We do not have an instant declaration, this is an ordeal of the Lord.
We are not comforted by the thought God creates wounds for them to heal, that He lashes out to chasten, that He permits distress to teach us to pray.
The deprivation is too great, the cruelty too awful, the lashes too severe to be at peace with explanations or edifying assurances.

In the center of life, we are surrounded, so often – but by exception in a horrible clarity –, though inexplicable, the chilling mystery of God. Not losing one’s faith and determined to clamp to God’s image can only speak of a God hiding, on a throne of inadmissable light, perhaps even: inadmissable darkness. A burden that is too heavy to carry forward. We do want to know, but all thoughts about God and the world we live in, break down upon this reality.

We would like to comfort each other, but our voices are silent, because each word is inadequate. We would like to pray together with all who are chastised, but God is too distant, covered by clouds of darkness.
How many of us have remained silent impaired by impotence …. .
God reports: “no imagination, no word and no signs”.
“Thou art the One Who Is, makes known and no one to question!”

We must have the courage not to say much else, confronting those who have lost so many, show compassion by not speaking out more. Our love must be adequate, to leave our fellow man at peace with the suffering that confronted him, because it’s his sorrow, if that’s his preference … , it’s his right to be overwhelmed or not, although the intentions may be well founded, to be disturbed just by our presence close to him should be sufficient.

God is a mystery and His acts are a mystery, now more than ever before.  Such we have learned, which can be fruitful, because our relationship with God has been taken for granted, too much self indignation.

This disaster shows us a sign of insecurity, it awakens the most profound questions of life itself, the passion of the heart, likely to subdue in time, a rise in a reply “I just don’t know”, so easily obscured in all sorts of false certainties.

However besides this, thanks to God, much more has become clear. That is: Jesus has walked on the incoming sea!  It was His hand who led to rescues of people in death anguish calling for help.  They who were in need did not see Him, as the apostles could see and touch Him. Who they did see were ordinary men, coming and wading through the flood waters, sometimes only visible their heads, swimming in ice cold water, steering flotillas and small boats … , floating by air. They approached from all sides and risked their lives without hesitation. A few perished in their mission … may their Savior reach out to them. These men were so driven by their will to rescue others, entrusted by their faith and their believe the mission was possible, it seems they were walking over the surface of the sea, they did not see any impediments.

Whether it would endanger their health, their money or their possession, it was of no concern. A thousand fold are the tales of these heroes, many witnessed thereof, especially the stories of the soldiers and marines and the men of the Air Force, but also many who remain anonymous. I personally can tell you about a physician from Overflakkee, who for six long hours waded and swam to look after his most serious ill patients, until he became one who has fallen; just one example of so many.

<click on photo to enlarge plus article>

I know, many of these men were not conscious of or stood still by the Christ, perhaps many have hardly heard of the Lord. They did not realize they were doing service to Him and if asked may even have denied the suggestion.  But they did perform in His service, His army is infinitely larger than the numbers who consider themselves worthy to be called Christians, His power reaches out beyond church buildings and Christians, thanks be to God!

In His name they crossed the floods to reach fellow men in need and He reached out to them. And also: countless persons offered Him, without even knowing Him, food and water, and as a stranger shelter, naked gave clothes, visited brethren in ill health. Because so often will His visit be in cognito, as a stranger, by another name, ordinary people.

That we may have witnessed, the outpour of love and sacrifice as a substantial reality, gives us much gratification, even if we are aware of smallness in human kind, impulsion and deliberation. God is able to lift men above their own powers and make witness to Him.

One more aspect has become very clear: hundreds of daily concerns, where in our normal lives we consider as important and worthwhile to embattle one another, in the hour of need loses all their value and become irrelevant. Everything, what has separated us and what caused bitterness between neighbors was removed: religion and politics, social standing and intelligence, riches and poverty and so much more what had caused deep rifts and created immense walls, it was swept away in the knowledge we belong together and share responsibility. All of us have been deeply moved by this solidarity; a unity which in reality reached all corners of the world community. During a number of days our nation became united, was the world united and lifted the Dutch people in need in Zeeland, the South-West corner of the Netherlands.  

We are realists to know it will not last, all inequality in the world will not be changed to equality; that many persons performed above and beyond their normal duty will pass, and return to their normal lives. Apparently all will return to normal order, here and in other countries. But this is a fact, maybe for a short period in time, here it became reality.

In a short lapse of time, it has been demonstrated we are all joined together, in spite of all smallness, quarrels and cavels. The positive influence will deepen in our community and nation. Christ prayed all men to be one; this became a reality in an unexpected manner, no one would have imagined. In our appreciation, we thank God from the depth of our hearts. His ways are miraculous and so often totally unexpected, but just by that fact alone full of grace.

The deprivation, the suffering, the anguish of thousands bears heavily on our community. This we must realize when we have not been inflicted by some losses, do not neglect our fellow men and go on with our own lives as if it didn’t happen. In instances we have been saved from hardship, there rests a great responsibility to – in the long term – share burdens and show compassion to those who have been lashed out by this disaster. This requires much humility, patience, endurance, discipline and rational love. Let us pray to God that we muster courage to invest and build up this solidarity. The mystery of all that happened remains in its inexplication.

May this be a beneficial sign of the necessity in purification of our faith.

However, surrounding this circle of mystification and suffering, may there be another circle of gratitude for the miracle of Christ walking over water, through our brethren. Saving lives of so many, and for the miracle that people set aside their own concerns, selflessness and forgetting their own limitations, by becoming one in peril, one in power of love and care.

We remember on this day all those who died and the victims of the flood disaster. This is the main wave and leads us to introspection and sincere sympathy. In this wave their are vibrations, somewhat dampened, where joy vibrates;

• because God, concealed for many, did move thousands, no hundreds of thousands all over the world, to offer their courage and love,
• because God did become a force and refuge for many who sought His help in time of need,
• because He, who carried our ancestors in adversity and the cross, became a guide in the storm and by night, and in eternity offers us a home.

Amen.

Hymn
Silence in remembrance
Our Father
Closing hymn 98 : 1, 6, 14.  
(National anthem – Wilhelmus van Nassauwe)

Farewell and blessing.

.
With gratitude to Ds J.A van Nieuwenhuijzen for his permission, and to a friend for pointing me to this sermon.

[Original provided in the Dutch language, translation by Oui]

Washing Away

– SPECIAL REPORT from THE TIMES-PICAYUNE –

It’s only a matter of time before South Louisiana
takes a direct hit from a major hurricane.
Billions have been spent to protect us,
but we grow more vulnerable every day.

Five-Part Series published June 23-27, 2002