Crazy Things Church Leaders Say & Do, John Piper, Troubling Tweets

John Piper’s Tweet During Devastating Twister Aftermath

Julie Anne

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So, I’m minding my own business catching up on the latest Twitter news and it is filled with tweets about the devastating aftermath of the Twister in Oklahoma that as of this posting has 20 confirmed deaths and 145 people hospitalized.  People are still being pulled from the rubble.  These are the types of tweets I am reading:

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But then I see this:

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And I wonder is this love?   

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293 thoughts on “John Piper’s Tweet During Devastating Twister Aftermath”

  3. How callous. I think the world needs more duct tape. It would solve the chronic condition some folks have of diarrhea of the mouth.

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  4. Wtf! What person says something so insensitive?????!!!! God’s word was never designed or written to be used as a weapon against anything except the devil and his darkness. It was not supposed to be used to target people and cause them more suffering.

    In the words of Casting Crowns:

    “But if we are the body
    Why aren’t His arms reaching?
    Why aren’t His hands healing?
    Why aren’t His words teaching?
    And if we are the body
    Why aren’t His feet going?
    Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
    There is a way

    Jesus paid much too high a price
    For us to pick and choose who should come
    And we are the body of Christ…”

    Why isn’t our day’s loudest religious leaders reaching out instead of raining down fire and brimstone on an already devastated community? Lord help us all

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  6. Looks like he removed the tweet from his feed. I looked this morning and it isn’t there. I agree that a tweet like that was irresponsible and callous, especially because Twitter precludes any contextualization or explanation about whatever it was he may have meant. Hard to believe he initially tweeted it, though. Sad.

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  8. In a situation like this, the compassionate thing like this would be to either report the simple facts as news, or to offer a message of peace and comfort, solace, or mourning. While this isn’t the worst thing he could have said, it still lacks in compassion. Using a verse like this, he should have followed up with an additional verse about Job being restored, or how there is hope for the hurting, or that Jesus loves children, or SOMETHING. This alone is NOT what people need to hear right now.

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  9. Glad to hear that he removed the tweet at least. Still, like you said, why would it even be tweeted in the first place? *Shakes head*

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  10. Did you guys take a look at how many people retweeted and favorited it? What’s going on there? That baffles my mind. Ok, maybe someone thought it was ridiculous and retweeted it to get a response and show what a fool he was, but in general, you retweet tweets that you like. I shudder to think that there were that many people who really agreed/liked the tweet.

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  11. Selah2013: Welcome! I love the Casting Crowns lyrics you posted. Those are beautiful. I completely agree with your last sentence:

    Why isn’t our day’s loudest religious leaders reaching out instead of raining down fire and brimstone on an already devastated community? Lord help us all

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  12. You would think someone – somewhere – along the line would tell John Piper to put on his common sense hat, and use it!

    It shows how completely clueless he truly is, and yet he is touted as ‘leader, authority, headship’, etc. Sigh. How does that line up for people I will never know.

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  13. I saw that and my jaw hit the carpet. I mean, seriously? Just egregious on every level.

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  15. A major question in Job is “Why do the righteous suffer?” This is not a passage about God’s wrathful judgment upon his people. At this point in Job the reader is seeing that Yahweh’s sovereign hand extends even over great disaster. In fact it was Satan who caused these calamities to fall upon Job’s family.

    It looks like Piper deleted the tweet which means he probably reread it and realized it could be seen as insensitive. Before speaking sharply and calling Piper a fool we should extend some charity and give him the benefit of the doubt. Is it possible that he didn’t intend for it to come across in the way it did to many of you? Has anyone here ever said something and had it be taken the wrong way? Has anyone here ever done anything insensitive? As Christians we ought to have more charity than this.

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  16. “Julie Anne
    May 21, 2013 @ 6:31 AM

    Did you guys take a look at how many people retweeted and favorited it? What’s going on there? That baffles my mind. Ok, maybe someone thought it was ridiculous and retweeted it to get a response and show what a fool he was, but in general, you retweet tweets that you like. I shudder to think that there were that many people who really agreed/liked the tweet.”

    I retweeted it so show what an ass he is.

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  17. A Reader- Piper has put his foot in his mouth one to many times for me to give him the benefit of doubt. Backlash is needed. Folks didn’t take kindly to Lizz Winstaeds tweet.

    ‘This tornado is in Oklahoma so clearly it has been ordered to only target conservatives,’ wrote comedian Lizz Winstead, in a tweet, around 3:30 Monday afternoon.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328232/Oklahoma-tornado-Daily-Show-creator-Lizz-Winstead-faces-backlash-insensitive-tweet.html#ixzz2TwB3erAv

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  18. A Reader,

    Except this is typical for Piper. This is just one blooper he made; he does this kind of “insensitive” crap all the time. How much charity to you grant Fred Phelps or Pat Robertson before you think to yourself, “Well, charity is not working.”

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  20. Exactly, William. ^^^ He must have realized he said something wrong (why else would he remove it). He has 485,373 followers. Perhaps a public apology would be in order since he publicly stated it??

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  21. William, to compare Piper with Phelps & Robertson is to not have an accurate view of Piper. If you lump those three together then I can understand why you disagree with me, even if I believe the disagreement is unfounded.

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  22. Sometimes, no matter how sure you are in your theology or biblical interpretation, you need to simply shut your piehole and hit your knees. Mr. Piper appears to have forgotten that.

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  23. And again, if one understands the context of the verse he posted, it was not explicitly insensitive. The context is that sometimes God allows natural evil to occur even in the lives of the most righteous people. It is not a verse about God’s judgment. If it was a verse about judgment, then you could make a comparison to Robertson/Phelps. I can see someone making an argument that the Tweet was not prudent given the limited context which Twitter affords. I don’t believe his Tweet warrants the backlash he is getting.

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  24. A Reader,

    I’m not comparing him necessarily to Phelps — God forbid (though we certainly grant Phelps no charity, and that was my point — charity, as you suggested we grant Piper). But Robertson? Piper has said and written some of the most insensitive comments, just like Robertson. So, yes, I will definitely compare Piper to Robertson.

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  25. See my comment above about why I don’t believe a comparison to Robertson is warranted. The verse is not related to God’s judgment.

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  26. A Reader,

    No, according to Calvinism, Piper’s supralapsarian Calvinism, God did not passively “allow” the disaster — He foreordained it and brought it to pass (see Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter III, Of God’s Eternal Decree: “God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”). And then he decides to Tweet from Job? Are you even serious? It came across more of a taunt than anything else. And this from someone who advocates the “doctrines of grace.” Grace. Right.

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  27. KR Taylor – – Well there you go. You proved my point 🙂 I don’t blame you, btw (obviously or I wouldn’t have done this post).

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  28. Piper’s biggest mistake was assuming that his readers would understand the context of that verse. If one is remotely familiar with the story of Job, they will know that the verse is describing the calamity brought about by Satan as a means of proving Job’s righteousness.

    Yes, William, God does ordain disaster. He ordained the greatest disaster in the cosmos, the gory crucifixion of Christ. If Yahweh did not ordain disaster, I would still be dead in my sin.

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  29. Why, why, why do leaders in prominent positions feel the need to pontificate and spout off like this? Nothing about that particular verse in the book of Job promotes compassion and healing. Lord, save us from ourselves!

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  30. William – – that is exactly how I interpreted the tweet, showing how sovereign God ordained it. Even if you hold to that doctrinal belief, it is heartless to blast it (and yes, I say blast when it’s going to 485K followers) amidst such suffering and grief. Can you imagine Christ saying such a thing? I cannot.

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  32. A Reader,

    So, you’re equating the redemptive act of God on our behalf, through Jesus Christ our Lord, with God foreordaining disasters like Tornadoes and Hurricanes and Earthquakes, etc.? Is that not a major categorical error on your part?

    And if you’re defending Piper’s Tweet, then how can you suggest it was in any way insensitive, as you did above?

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  33. And we wonder why so many people find Christians intolerable. As long as Piper et al are the face (or ass) or Christianity then we will indeed appear to be a sorry lot.

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  34. I’m from Oklahoma City, although I currently live in China.

    I didn’t mind the Piper tweet, although (obviously) many people will take it the wrong way.

    I take it as a reminder that God is not surprised by a tornado, but that He is there in the midst of the suffering doing millions of things that we will never be able to know or see (just like in the story of Job, which Piper was referencing).

    Those who would reject a God who allows suffering should remember that it is only through the infinite suffering of the sinless one, Jesus, that salvation was purchased! He truly does know our pain!

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  37. The context of the verse in Job may not be about judgement, but the verse in context with the diaster in OK seems to be just that, or at the very least, insensitive and uncompassionate. I am glad Piper removed the tweet. Perhaps he did realize that it came off as cold and calous, even if that was not his intention, and that is why he removed it. If so, I would hope that he tweets a simple apology. Doesn’t need to be anything elaborate, just that he didn’t communicate his thoughts well in this case and is sorry if his tweet caused any hurt. That would be the right thing to do.

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  38. And we wonder why so many find Christians intolerable? As long as Piper et al are the most visible faces (or asses) of Christianity we will indeed appear to be a sorry lot.

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  39. If one wishes to speak on the sovereignty of God in a situation like this (e.g. God is still with you in times of trouble, God sees the pain and hurt, God won’t ever leave you, God is still in charge, etc, etc) ther are many verses and saying that can convey that idea FAR better than simply quoting Job 1:19, which when taken out of context, is difficult to use to arrive at the same conclusion. This is especially true when the current diaster involved the death of children by a tornado bringing a building down on them. Again, using this verse, at this time, is at best insensitive, and Piper should issue a tweet of apology.

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  40. Being convinced that there is much power in prayer, I suggest that we petition our Lord, in all love, that those ministers whose faith is hyper-intellectualized may experience such transformation that they find themselves entering into the lives of others, experiencing what others experience, feeling what others feel, seeing and knowing what others see and know. Pray, maybe, that they will be so nearly conformed to the image of Jesus that they (dare I include myself here?) will by nature find themselves entering emotionally and spiritually into the depths of devastation worked in the lives of those who suffer severe trauma–and not just the trauma of storm-caused loss of loved ones, but also the trauma suffered by so many, especially children, at the hands of people wielding physical, emotional and spiritual power. Maybe, just maybe, these ministers will then find themselves becoming our Lord’s loving hands and feet to attend to the poor, the hungry, the afflicted, the falsely shamed, the oppressed, the devastated–yes, the very “least of these.” Then, maybe, it will come to be truly said that we are known to be Jesus’ disciples by our love for one another.

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  41. Julie Ann, I don’t believe Christ would have Tweeted that. I do believe it’s likely that Christ would have seen similarities between those suffering in Oklahoma and the suffering of Job. The story of Job has long been a comfort to believers who are facing impossible circumstances, circumstances which seem to call into question God’s goodness.

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  42. William, I was simply stating that the ordination of disaster is not a bad thing, in and of itself. I am also not “defending his Tweet.” I believe it was wise that he removed it given the fact that Twitter doesn’t allow for context. Please don’t assume certain things that I have not made explicit. My point in entering this discussion was only to say that we should be more careful before calling a man a fool and to try and provide some possible context behind his Tweet to show that the intention of his heart might have been different than many think.

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  43. JoeJoe, I agree that some sort of clarification would be nice. I was trying to bring another perspective to this discussion, not suggest that Piper should have kept the Tweet up or even written it in the first place. I believe he was trying to make a bigger point than Twitter could allow for, and quoting that verse out of context was a poor way to accomplish that. Poor judgment in a moment doesn’t warrant the kind of vicious response he is receiving.

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  44. Dan, the article you link to (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/fierce-tornadoes-and-the-fingers-of-god) is Piper trying to explain why God allows these things to happen. The specific point he is making in the section which mentions the verse from Job is that sometimes God allows these things to happen to show that He is to be praised even in the most difficult of circumstances. His first point in that article is what I believe he was trying to allude to with his Tweet. But, it’s hard to make a big point like that with 140 characters. I believe he realized this and then took it down.

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  46. A Reader … Piper doesn’t say “God allows these things to happen.” He says: “God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows. If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command.” and “Jesus rules the wind. The tornadoes were his.”

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  47. I think what may be upsetting about this issue is the seeming cover up and neglect of owning up to his mistake. Had Piper tweeted this, and then did a follow-up tweet or tweets to explain that he was trying to get at the sovereignty of God in the midst of disaster (as I mentioned in an earlier comment), then this wouldn’t really be a big problem.

    I also think it wouldn’t really be a big problem if he had removed the tweet and then tweeted an apology that he misspoke and wasn’t clear and was sorry for any hurt caused.

    Piper did neither of these things thought. Instead, he simply deleted the tweet, effectively sweeping it under the rug, which has an air of “what? I never said that!” to it. With all of the cover-up in regards to the sexual abuse in SGM and various pastors refusing to own up to their own sins and mistakes, this tweet (and it’s deletion in this manner) was a reaffirmation of that attitude.

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  48. A Reader,

    *What Dan said.*

    And you keep sidestepping the fact that Piper does this kind of thing when disasters happen. It doesn’t cause people to trust in God, knowing that He is bringing about horror — rape, incest, murder, sexual deviancy, disasters, etc.

    Of the thousands of passages from which Piper could have quoted, he consistently takes this very telling route — and I suppose you try to contextualize him every time, making it seem that Piper didn’t actually mean how it appears that he means.

    Tell us, A Reader, your thoughts on Piper’s comment about the Tornado and the Lutheran conference. I bring this up because of its direct correlation with this event.

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  49. William, I’m not here to speak to all of Piper’s comments. I’m not his spokesperson and don’t want to be caricatured as a defender of John Piper. I was just urging for more charity, specifically in regards to this Tweet. Saying that Piper should apologize (for this Tweet) is all well and good. Calling a fellow Christian a fool and the “ass of Christianity” is unacceptable and I hope that we will be opposed to that type of attitude.

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  51. A Reader,

    FWIW, until not too long ago I was something of a fan of John Piper. I began to suspect problems when I attempted to do a teaching on marriage from one of Piper’s books. The result was that I ended up re-traumatizing somebody who had experienced the tragedy of divorce. I have now come to the conclusion that Piper’s theology is harmful because it is founded on the notion that God’s primary motivation in His dealings with mankind is His concern for his Glory. Piper’s explanations notwithstanding, this turn’s God into something of a cosmic super narcissist. The reality is that God’s dealings with mankind flow from His nature, which is Love.

    While it is only my opinion, I also strongly suspect that Piper’s capacity for empathetic identification is severely compromised. It may be that he simply does not have the ability to anticipate how people will be affected by the things he says. I must freely admit that, for me, it is easy to speak truth; but I find it extraordinarily challenging to speak truth with love. I perceive that it is the same for Piper.

    While Piper is deserving of our prayers, I will resist his error. I will hopefully be able to do this with love, although my love will first take into account those who are victimized by his theology, his public pronouncements, and even his associations.

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  52. Gary, in your disagreement you show charity. That’s all I’m urging for. Thanks for being an example of it!

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  54. See, that is a much better way of putting it. Showing the bit of similarity between the story of Job and this tragedy but also pointing to God’s compassion and mercy in the midst of tragedy.

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  56. I think it is important to note the knee-jerk reaction from New-Calvinists to endorse their theology, though. This is the pattern we have seen in the recent Sovereign Grace Ministries – – you know the one that has church leaders forcing a toddler who was sexually abused to face her perpetrator and reconcile. I keep harping and harping on this – – -when theology becomes so elevated that we miss the basics of Christianity which is to demonstrate love to others, is it really theology anymore? I don’t think so, it’s idolatry.

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  58. Um, O.K., but I don’t see referencing the announcement to Job of the death of his children is supposed to point us to God’s compassion and mercy. I don’t get it intellectually, and I certainly don’t get it as a human being who is even now in personal contact with people who live Oklahoma City. This sort of thing does seem to provide this bit of opportunity: I find that there are occasions when, if I apologize on behalf of all believers for things like this, the person to whom I am speaking is much more receptive to anything I might have to say about Jesus.

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  59. Pat Robertson now has a definite successor in the Shoot off Your Mouth for God A-hole department.

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  60. Julie Anne,

    Oh, yes, you are soooo right — a gracious Christian minister would apologize, even if it took twenty Tweets to do so, and then to clarify, for those of us who “misunderstood” his intent. (I agree with both of your recent comments. The SGM scandal and its cover-up are unacceptable.)

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  61. Immediately after a disaster is not the time to offer, or imply, a theological explanation. Even Job’s “friends” waited a week before they spoke.

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  62. Gary,

    Um, O.K., but I don’t see referencing the announcement to Job of the death of his children is supposed to point us to God’s compassion and mercy.

    Yes, especially when God foreordained and brought such about Himself. God did not merely passively allow such to happen; He decreed it, and He brought it about — supposedly, according to Piper, for His glory. And we’re to trust this God?

    Piper’s theology, in my opinion, is atrocious; and his views on the character of God are utterly deplorable. Still, I’ll take the latter Tweet over the former.

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  63. No, according to Calvinism, Piper’s supralapsarian Calvinism, God did not passively “allow” the disaster — He foreordained it and brought it to pass (see Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter III, Of God’s Eternal Decree: “God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”).

    Piper’s tweet translated into Arabic:
    “In’shal’lah… Al’lah’u Akbar! Al’lah’u Akbar! Al’lah’u Akbar!”

    Both Calvin and Mohammed were very much into Predestination and God’s Omnipotent Will, and their fanboys even more so; I would expect a LOT of resemblance. And both end up with a God who is OMNIPOTENT but NOT benevolent.

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  64. So, you’re equating the redemptive act of God on our behalf, through Jesus Christ our Lord, with God foreordaining disasters like Tornadoes and Hurricanes and Earthquakes, etc.? Is that not a major categorical error on your part?

    Not if you’re into Utter Predestination, where God can Will good one minute and evil on us all the next, and who are we mere creatures to call it Evil? In’shal’lah… Eh, Kismet?

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  65. Headless UG,

    I’ll not soon forget a quote I read from my college Philosophy prof. (at a Southern Baptist seminary, nonetheless), from his book on theodicy: Could God not bring Himself glory with a lot less trauma to the hearts and minds of the creatures whom he created in His image? (paraphrased: that was like The Message translation of his statement.)

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  66. A Reader said:
    “And again, if one understands the context of the verse he posted, it was not explicitly insensitive. The context is that sometimes God allows natural evil to occur even in the lives of the most righteous people.”

    My response:
    I am sure that the context of his tweet had nothing to do with the context of the verse that he posted.

    He had a chance to both clarify and qualify, but he didn’t. His deletion speaks volumes that he did post it with INSENSITIVITY, on purpose.

    Ed

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  67. JA,

    I think that Pipers new tweet is a DESPERATE attempt at compassion, and it fails. James 5? Really? Here is how James 5 begins:

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep, and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you…

    Now, check this out:

    Job is mentioned ONLY ONCE in the whole New Test Scriptures.

    He knew everyone knew of the first tweet in regards to Job, and now he is trying to cover it up with the ONLY verse in the NT that discusses Job.

    I am not buying what he is selling in his coverup.

    Interesting.

    Ed

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  68. I love that this tweet has been deleted by John Piper, but you got it before that occurred. I think his response is a horrible one.

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  69. interestingblogger: Sadly, it’s because I’ve been observing this pattern time and again among certain church “leaders.” It disgusts me. Before I started blogging in Feb of 2012, I had to look up how to take a screen shot each and every time I wanted to take one. Not anymore.

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  70. On 5/21/13, “A Reader” wrote:
    “It looks like Piper deleted the tweet which means he probably reread it and realized it could be seen as insensitive. Before speaking sharply and calling Piper a fool we should extend some charity and give him the benefit of the doubt. Is it possible that he didn’t intend for it to come across in the way it did to many of you? Has anyone here ever said something and had it be taken the wrong way? Has anyone here ever done anything insensitive? As Christians we ought to have more charity than this.”

    Dear A Reader,
    Thank you for this. Let’s look past this John Piper distraction and focus our attention and efforts on loving and praying for this affected by this tragedy.

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  71. Jamila: I don’t know that it is a distraction. I think it is a wake-up call for genuine response to tragedy. I also think it is a call for people to discern who their real Christian leaders are. And . . I think it is a time to call to account those who do destruction to the name of Christ by their bad behavior and very insensitive public responses.

    Do you realize this was sent out to 485K people? I suspect most of those people are following because they like the guy. If this guy is spewing out stuff like that, he is basically endorsing that kind of behavior for his followers to emulate. How many people is he harming along the way and how many will follow suit? With no apology and just a quick delete of the tweet, he has covered up his mess, ie, damage control. He needs to address HIS problem publicly since it was done publicly.

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  73. Jamila, A Reader,

    Ya, just like we ought to just look beyond the Bengazi distraction, the IRS distraction, the first amendment distraction, and the second amendment distraction.

    No, some things we should not just look beyond. Jesus didn’t look beyond the Pharisees. He confronted their stupidity, so publicly that it was written in a book, by several authors that practically the whole world has read it.

    Calling a self proclaimed Christian out on his stupidity is Christian like. Rebuking is not un-Christian like.

    Remember the harsh rebuke that Paul gave to Peter for his stupidity?

    Or did Paul just “Pray for him”?

    Ed

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  74. Piper’s god is a wrath-filled God, it seems, from that tweet . . . that one tweet, spun off spontaneously, at such a time of suffering, reveals much about his perception of his god, and perhaps his perception of himself as a judge of others caught up in suffering . . . he needs a good dose of humility . . . all the notoriety and praise seem to have gone to his head, the fact that he removed the tweet may be a sign of some awareness of its callousness, but if he is prideful, it might have been simply an attempt to avoid criticism . . . we cannot know for sure . . . only God may judge where he is at, but as for his tweet . . . it is what it is . . . and it speaks still of something that is far from Christ-honoring

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  77. Christiane: I’m struck by your words: all the notoriety and praise seem to have gone to his head in light of the new tweet I just posted. Whoa! You nailed it.

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  79. I’d echo just about everything A Reader has shared with us here as my own.

    Neither am I a defender of Piper, however, personally, I found this tweet in question to be significantly comforting as it points the biblically literate to the sovereign purposes of God in disasters such as this. It immediately brought to mind such passages as James 5:11—You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the end intended by the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

    The question of theodicy [i.e., If God is all-good and all-powerful why then does He permit evil and suffering?] is both an intellectual and an emotional problem. Piper was speaking to the intellectual side of the issue, pointing us to a biblical appreciation of the problem.

    It is true—possessing a proper theological understanding of God’s mysterious ways armors us from being utterly and emotionally torn to pieces in times like this. Nevertheless, as has been pointed out here in the comments, Piper’s answer was mistimed and misplaced.

    Although his mistake is now apparent—I don’t think it’s worthy of all the vitriol being presently spouted against him here.

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  80. Monax,

    Although his mistake is now apparent—I don’t think it’s worthy of all the vitriol being presently spouted against him here.

    I couldn’t disagree with you more. He’s receiving no more “vitriol” than what he himself at times dishes out.

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  81. Spurgeon’s quote in fuller context appears to be, “Have you not by this time discovered that flattery is as injurious as it is pleasant? It softens the mind and makes you more sensitive to slander. In proportion as praise pleases you, censure will pain you.”

    Is Piper somehow trying to take credit for not seeking to be flattered or praised? Is he somehow trying to argue that the censure he is receiving is proof of his courage to speak hard things, however unpopular? It’s like these leaders see rebuke as the most sure evidence of the value of their positions. IMO, Piper would do better to simply admit that his initial tweet was insensitive and ill advised, and then issue an apology.

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  83. He wouldn’t be getting all the ‘vitriol’ if he stepped up immediately, and the clarified himself. His habit of deleting items – like he did his dangerous speech about submitting to abusive spouse – and then ignoring the backlash until 4 years later…yet even 4 years later didn’t say anything of great substance? It doesn’t do much for this credibility. He wants people to ‘step up’, and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord…yet he can’t show his ‘leadership’ skills to model it for others? The man is reaping what he sows sadly.

    WHY he would think that scripture would have been seen as anything except cold hearted is beyond me. The man doesn’t seem to have lick of common sense.

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  84. Monax,
    I have to disagree with you here. I am not a Calvinist, and therefore do not believe that God had anything to do with yearly tornado’s that happen naturally based on hot air mixing with cold air that causes wind, anymore than God causing a whirlpool in the sink when the water goes down the drain. Tornado’s happen every year in the same location.

    In the case of Job, he got back everything that was taken from him two fold. So how does James 5:11, the only mention of Job in the NT, relate to a natural happening? God made a bet with the devil in regards to Job faith. It was a test in Job’s faith, and the devil lost. The supernatural was at work, there. Not in Oklahoma.

    Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has nothing to do with God’s Sovereignty. Accidents happen, just like the building that fell that killed people in the Gospels. God didn’t cause that to happen, and no one sinned for it to happen as a judgment, either.

    I do not agree with A Reader. Call him out on his junk.

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  85. I agree, Gary W, once Piper is made aware that his tweet was taken as hurtful by masses of people—the proper response (to model as a Christian leader) is an immediate and sincere apology.

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  87. Wow. So sad to read such a hurtful tweet, and so grateful that the “better angels” of his nature led him to remove it! I suppose that Pastor Piper, like many pastors, feels a great need to relate current events (when those events intervene into his daily life) directly to his particular beliefs about God. The problem when we do that is, we can easily come to see the entire surrounding creation as simply providing us with the materials we need to argue for our theology. Soon, there is no longer mystery, but only points to make and arguments to put forth. In a sense, he might be feeling a need (kind of off the cuff) to make an excuse for God, and explain God’s actions. At the very worst, Pastor Piper would be assuring us that, like spiders dangling over the fires of hell, we are all liable for such sudden, divinely-generated catastrophic judgments to fall on us, and we should therefore repent, and worship this sovereign, righteous God of the storm.

    But let’s look at this trying to “believe all things”: In the book of Job, this particular part of Job’s catastrophe, the loss his children through a natural catastrophe, was part of the inscrutable allowance of God for evil to enter into Job’s experience; to serve God’s purposes, which included, in the end, tremendous restoration, blessing, and legacy for Job. Job backed off of his prior attempts to explain God and evil–it was impossible, frustrating, and often led to a false sense of guilt. He ended up praising God. The timing of Pastor Piper’s first tweet is the problem–and its lack of explanation as to its content and his purpose for sharing it. Perhaps we should understand his removal of the tweet as a tacit admission of regret for having posted it, and move on to continued prayer and hope for the victims.

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  89. We have a tendency to look to our leaders during times of tragedies. We want to hear their responses and see if it matches up with ours. How many news reporters will interview celebrity pastors to hear what they have to say about events? It happens all the time. Not only that, celebrity pastors often use opportune times like this to say what is on their mind and underscore their beliefs. Look, here’s Mohler on the subject: http://www.albertmohler.com/2013/05/20/the-briefing-special-edition-moore-oklahoma/

    Piper knew very well what he was doing during the tragedy. He knew people would be following his every word (and now deleted word – lol) of “wisdom.”

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  90. I am confused. A commenter at internet monk said that Piper apologized… Did I miss something? This does not sound like much of a apology to me: “My apologies for the alliteration, but in the aftermath, I ask, “Is it possible to pray and prepare to proffer provisions to these people, and possibly project patience and piety, rather than a pretentious proliferation of pride?”

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  92. Pingback: Job’s Suffering and Ours | Denny Burk

  93. Gail,

    What you report Piper as having said by way of apology doesn’t appear to me to be a apology for his unfortunate tweet. Rather, he is merely “apologizing” for the fact that he is about to use use a bunch of words that start with the same letter, which, of course, is what alliteration is. Now, I can’t speak for Piper, but if I were to “apologize” in advance for using a bunch of words starting with the same letter, I would actually only be trying to draw attention to my cleverness.

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  94. There are few people I know who have a better understanding of the issue of theodicy than Dr Jerram Barrs. Awhile back I listened to a most excellent 2006 lecture of his on “Good, Evil and Suffering.” I can’t find the mp3 of this on line anymore, but according to my notes this is the proper Christian response to disasters like the one Piper is attempting to address:

    Barrs said, “The answer is to cry; weep; mourn. Now is a time for tears and compassion, being agents of change, of healing, of coming alongside. . .”

    http://www.covenantseminary.edu/resources/lecture-series/the-francis-schaeffer-apologetics-seminar-2002-suffering-and-evil/

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  95. ”No, I think the people who had a most uncharitable interpretation of his scriptural quotation should repent and apologize to him.”’ – Mr. Burke

    What an uncharitable thing to say. WOW! Such HUMILITY, such GRACE…as I said before it wouldn’t kill them to ‘model’ behavior first. BUT I guess that ain’t going to happen – so to me it shows their true ‘leadership’ style sadly. When you realize people have ‘misinterpreted’ what you said – you don’t clarify, you don’t apologize, you ask them to repent and apologize to you.

    Since they seem to feel ‘thinking the worse of others’ is the way to go? I will follow their lead, and return the favor. Sigh. Nah. I think I will stick to the fact they truly don’t grasp reality outside their bubble. Yep. That’s the facts JACK! I would rather feel sorry for them than follow that leadership style. Just sayin.

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  97. Ok, why is there such a viral response? People are shocked/appalled? That’s the response I’m seeing. And Denny wants people to apologize to Piper for being uncharitable? Wow. That basically means everybody who calls it disgusting and poor taste is WRONG.

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  98. For those forming an opinion before they understand what they are angry about, please read Job 1:19-22. Actually, better yet, read the book of Job. The passage has absolutely nothing to do with God’s judgement on the wicked. If you think that was what Piper was saying you are wrong, and you owe him an apology for misrepresenting what he was tweeting. This passage is a wonderful example of how we, if we are a believer, should respond in great and terrible tragedy. Yes something terrible happened to Job, he loses his sons and daughters to a mighty wind. Here is Job’s amazing response, “20At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Do you know what the cool thing is? Many people in Oklahoma, despite get and terrible loss, are saying the same thing, and they are to be honored for it just like Job was. I’ll be the first to admit that many Christian leaders put their foot in their mouths, but you picked the wrong example.

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  101. Ben, I AGREE 100%.. both the story recorded in Job quoted by Piper and the Oklahoma tornado are TRAGIC. To imply Piper was posting about judgment on OK is so unfair. If you like John Piper or not.. his tweet retelling the story in Job is very appropriate.

    Thank you Brian for being fair in your response instead of jumping on this STONE JOHN PIPER rant

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