On July 4, 2025, the Texas Hill Country faced one of its worst natural disasters. Unprecedented rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes, claiming over 130 lives, with many still missing. In 2024, Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina with historic flooding and landslides. In January 2025, wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, fueled by Santa Ana winds and drought.

Tragedies like these often bring out humanity’s best—selfless service to communities. Yet, they can also reveal darker sides on social media, where some politicize disasters or claim victims “deserved” them based on regional politics. This divisiveness appears whether in conservative areas like Texas and North Carolina or liberal regions like California.

Do these disasters mean the victims are worse sinners? Jesus Christ addressed this concept in the Gospel of Luke, responding to tragedies of His time:

“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish’." (Luke 13:1-5)

Jesus’ words in Luke 13 are direct: tragedy isn’t divine punishment, but a call to repentance for all. Truth can be uncomfortable, but it’s clear. Repentance is a choice open to everyone.

Humanity lives within a dynamic biosphere that can be unpredictable and dangerous. The preacher in Ecclesiastes tells us that time and chance happen to us all (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Jesus also tells us, in his Sermon on the Mount, that the sun rises on both the evil and the good. It rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

Are you wondering why a loving God allows good people to face such tragedies as these? Request the free study guide, “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” available on the United Church of God website.

By Lynn Leiby