Was God Present at Camp Mystic?
Theodicy
God does care about evil that is present in the world and the tragedy that takes place. How do we make peace with evil and an all-powerful and loving God.
It has not gone unnoticed that when tragedy strikes, the world begins to point fingers at God. From the most faithful church member to the most faithful atheist, when tragedy strikes, people look to God to make sense of it. But in the case of the most recent events, I believe that we are not all looking for the same God.
In ancient times, there were a plethora of gods to look to for answers. If my crops died, it was the fault of the God who presided over crops. If I had a relative who was sick, it was the fault of the God who presided over disease. If I had no male heirs, there was a fertility God that could be prayed to. But in our learning of the one true God and the masses having been converted to monotheism, our spiritual imaginations have been weakened or eliminated. We hear powers and principalities, and we continue reading past to another scripture unbothered. Have we become so comfortable with YHWH God that we have stopped seeking Him, and in turn, ceased to understand His character?
I do not have to explain who God is; He tells us Himself. In Exodus 34:6-7, God is introducing Himself to His people of promise.
Exodus 34:6-7 ESV
[6] The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
If God is merciful, why did He not cause the little children at Camp Mystic to have their cars broken down, so they never made it to camp? If God is gracious, why not allow them to be found alive? If He is a God who is slow to anger, why does this feel like punishment to the parents who lost children, looking at other parents who have theirs? If He is faithful and steadfast, why did a flood occur on this day? Furthermore, was it the sins of the parents who caused the flood in the first place? Is sin hereditary and the punishment passed on? (Unsure? Read HERE) These types of questions fall in line with the theology of Theodicy. Theodicy is an attempt to make sense of why an all-good and all-powerful God allows bad things to happen. Why is evil permitted when this all-powerful and loving God exists?
I am going to begin here by letting you know that I do not have the time to explain it all in a single post. But I will share resources with you after this that will help you to understand the God you serve. God is omnipresent, He is everywhere all at once. God is omniscient and knows all. God is omnipotent and has all power. He was there in the Keller TX area during the flood, He knew that it would happen, and He could keep all people from dying if He so pleased. You may be asking, “Where is the justice in that?” And you are asking the right question!
Where is the justice in God existing in all places among people who sin, knowing full well that the penalty for sin is death? Where is the justice in God giving multiple chances when He knows you will fail and choose sin again, potentially harming others physically or spiritually? Where is the justice in allowing humanity to continue to exist, knowing their track record, especially when they dealt with God on earth?
Scripture tells us plainly:
Romans 6:23 (ESV) — “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The penalty for sin is indeed death, and creation itself bears scars from humanity’s fall (Romans 8:20-22). Floods, earthquakes, diseases, these are not God’s acts of cruelty. They are reminders that this world is not as it should be.
And this is where I want to be absolutely clear: The flood at Camp Mystic was NOT the will of God.
David Bentley Hart, in his book The Doors of the Sea, asks a crucial question:
“Was this God’s doing, or the tragic outworking of a fallen world God permits but does not design?”
He answers with boldness,
“The death of a child is not an expression of the divine will… The Christian is permitted to hate death, disease, and the calamities of nature as indignities imposed upon God’s good creation by an ancient alien intrusion.”
Evil and suffering exist because of a fallen world. God permits but does not cause these tragedies. He is always good.
So, was God present at Camp Mystic?
Yes. He was present in the terrified cries of those seeking shelter. He was present in the arms of rescuers who risked their lives. He was present in the silent prayers of parents waiting for news. And He is still present now; in the comfort He offers to grieving families and in the promise that death is not the final word.
Because while evil and tragedy are real, so is hope. The Christian faith stands on the truth that one day, God will wipe away every tear, and death shall be no more (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, we lament. We grieve. But we do not despair.
For our God remains merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6-7). Even in the darkest flood.
If you are wrestling with these questions, I encourage you to read works like David Bentley Hart’s The Doors of the Sea, or Tim Keller’s Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. They have helped me understand that our God is good, even when the world is not.
Recommended Titles
The Doors of the Sea – David Bentley Hart
A powerful, short theological meditation on natural evil and tragedy, not God’s will but the result of a fallen creation. Widely praised for its clarity and compassion.
Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering – Tim Keller
A deeply pastoral and biblically rich exploration of why a good God allows suffering, and how to trust Him through it.
Where Is God When It Hurts? – Philip Yancey
Thoughtfully addresses common misconceptions about suffering and helps readers trust in a loving and sovereign God.
A Grief Observed – C. S. Lewis
A raw and honest reflection on grief and God’s presence after loss. C.S. Lewis travels through both his mind, after losing his spouse, and scripture. It is brief yet deeply moving for lay readers.
