Also, think of it in this way. What better way to show God's love and mercy than to extend help to those in need, as these people in Japan assuredly are?
Whether or not helping benefits their immortal souls, it is certainly not detrimental to one's own.
I think that many people don’t know how to pray in these situations.
Sometimes people don’t always express verbally what they feel. The person leading the prayer may have had very much the compassion you were looking for and thought the phrase “their land will be healed” an example of that.
Hell’s worse
I think asking for them to realize real comfort and compassion through Christ Jesus is great.
I am positive the rest willand has already come normally from the congregation. Love, Prayers, donations, offerings.
Nothing wrong with it at all, it sounds like something I would say. Not cold or unfeeling at all.
The body of Christ has different parts for different purposes. Some have more empathy than others, but each has his role.
I don’t have a problem with that prayer. There are a lot of ways to look at it. I think we go out of our way to say the obvious sometimes. Of course we all want the suffering to end. By “experience”, perhaps he meant the tragedy as well as the recovery.
The best possible thing that can happen for those suffering in Japan is that they find Christ.
Prayer will help their spiritual well-being but if you want to help their physical well-being then you have to give $$$
I’d ask your pastor directly what the heck he meant. If he meant Japan ‘ got what they deserved ‘ because they are not a Christian country. I’d not return to the church.
If he meant the quake happened by the hand of God to move the people of Japan closer to Christ? Again, I’d leave.
I hope your pastor was simply clumsy in his sermon. Otherwise that is just one wicked statement.
It would depend with me upon the tone, I don’t fine the prayer at all offensive.
I’d rather people pray for my salvation than anything else.
That doesn’t mean I don’t want anything else prayed for; but salvation is always the priority.
It’s the only thing you can take with you.
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto you.” - Jesus.
It was a biblical prayer.
....I perfectly understand the prayer given....
...it's not cruel to desire a people to turn their hearts to God....it's an absolute response to love for those people
...in the midst of crisis, this is exactly what happens many times.
The first Sunday after 9/11, the church I attended in Santa Monica (in the heart of Hollywoodland) was bursting at the seams with people who flocked there for comfort & answers.....many, I'm sure, unchurched....
Our deepest soul yearns for God.....and truly, there is only one God.
Our church has missionaries in Japan.....they've been there many years, not laboring in vain....but seeing little results due to new Christians in their congregations are excommunicated by their families.
THIS is what I believe the person was trying to communicate during his prayer.
He was praying for God to hear the prayers, have mercy and heal the land.
It’s a long road from the heart to the tongue.
some people see “finding christ” as a cure all.
But usually good people mean they hope that the people will learn and turn to Christ in their problems.
One Christian writer in Japan said that Japanese folks aren’t attracted by a Christ who saves them from sin, because they have a different concept of sin. But they would find him as the compassionate God who comes and suffers with them in their time of trouble.