Why Ask Why?

Why Does It Happen?

　　It is not uncommon for people to ask, “Why?” when something bad happens. Actually, in many cases, the immediate causes are known. According to the World Health Organization, as of January 25, 2026, 7,110,188 people have died from COVID-19. ¹ Closer to home, the official figure of people who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire is 168. Both disasters impact Hong Kong residents deeply, but their causes are not unknown. The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Quite a number of causes for the fire at Tai Po have been identified, and none of them is mysterious or unfathomable.

　　So, why do we ask why even when we know the immediate cause of a disaster? I think the reason is that we want to know the deeper meaning of a disaster rather than just the cause. In other words, we want to know why God allowed or even caused it to happen. In the Bible, God communicates his will through angels, prophets, visions, or dreams. He may also appear to convey his words. So, there was no ambiguity. Nevertheless, these events are beyond human control; this was the case in the Bible and is certainly the case today. Thus, we cannot depend on them to explain why a disaster happens today.

　　A readily accessible and authoritative source of information is the Bible, which gives us quite a lot of explanations about why disasters happen. They include attacks by evil spirits (e.g., Job), the sinfulness of humanity (e.g., Jgs 19-21), foolish decisions of people involved (Prv 10:14; 14:16), and judgment of God (Dt 28:15-68). Ecclesiastes 9:12 states that a life-threatening disaster (lit. “evil time”) may befall anyone suddenly without warning. That is, disaster is a norm in this fallen world and may require no further explanation. More positively, some disasters may be permitted as a means of teaching or training us in righteousness (Dt 8:1-3; 1 Pt 1:6-7). We may also be called to suffer for the sake of God’s Kingdom (Mt 5:10-12). They are all legitimate answers, but the problem is that we may not know which of these is the correct answer in a specific situation. Moreover, we may be mistaken even if we think we know. This was the case with Job’s friends. They thought they knew, but they were wrong.

The Meaning of a Disaster

　　I think that in searching for the meaning of a disaster, we should begin with the immediate cause since it may also be the meaning. For example, if a person commits a sin, a crime, or something foolish that brings a disaster on himself (and perhaps on others), he should repent of his sin, crime, or foolishness. There is no need to look for a deeper meaning. This step is important to prevent the disaster from happening again. However, if the immediate cause is not obvious, forcing an explanation is counterproductive. It won’t prevent the disaster from recurring. Moreover, it is unjust to blame an innocent person for wrongdoing.

　　This brings us back to Job’s friends. Their theology was not wrong. The notion that God rewards those who keep his words but punishes those who disobey is found in the Bible (e.g., Dt 28; Jgs 3:7-8). It was their application of that theology to Job that was wrong. Wrong application is more difficult to correct than wrong interpretation because it is a subjective decision. Although the Bible offers many explanations for disasters and suffering, it is not easy to decide which of these explanations (if any) is correct in a specific situation. As Hans-Georg Gadamer, quoting Immanuel Kant, says, “There are no rules governing the reasonable use of rules.” ² We don’t have another Bible to teach us how to use the Bible. This warns us that even when our interpretation is correct, we may still make a mistake in application. This is why Bible study is not just concerned about historical information, grammatical analyses, and theological knowledge. We also need the guidance of the Holy Spirit and discernment to appropriate it correctly in our lives.

Another Approach

　　Another approach to disaster was taken by Ruth and Boaz in the Book of Ruth. Unlike Job’s friends, Ruth did not try to explain the reason Naomi lost her husband and sons. Instead, she accompanied Naomi back to Bethlehem to take care of her. Similarly, Boaz did not try to explain the tragedy that befell Naomi and Ruth. Instead, he helped them get food and later became their kinsman redeemer. Just because we cannot give an explanation for a disaster does not mean we can do nothing. On the contrary, we can do many practical things to help the victims.

　　So, should we attempt to find deeper meanings in a disaster? I think that for most people, it means whether there are any spiritual lessons we can learn from it. This is a subjective perception. There is no reason why we cannot learn spiritual lessons from a disaster, even if we are not personally involved; more so, if we are personally involved. At another level, if the question is whether we can discern God’s will in the disaster, we should be wary. Was God punishing this world through COVID-19 because of its wickedness? Or was it the birth pangs heralding the Second Coming of Christ (Mk 13:8)? They are both possible, but we can’t be sure. Therefore, we should not teach them as truths. Instead of offering uncertain explanations, we do well to heed the teachings of Deuteronomy 29:29, which says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (ESV). Similarly, God’s will in allowing or causing a disaster to happen may be hidden from us, but his will for us to help those in need is clearly manifested.

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¹ “Number of COVID-19 Deaths Reported to WHO” [data online]; available form World Health Organization website (https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths); accessed 13 February 2026.
² Hans-Georg Gadamer, Reason in the Age of Science, trans. Grederick G. Lawrence (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998), 121.