When we ask “Where was God?”

Jul 25, 2026 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – In the painful days following the tragedy involving the MV Barima, many Guyanese have asked a question that has echoed through history: “Where was God?” Others have prayed that God should intervene to protect our country, save our people and prevent disasters from happening.

These questions come from a place of deep sorrow. When parents lose children, when children lose parents, when families wait in anguish for news that never comes, the human heart naturally searches for an explanation.

It is understandable that people ask why God did not intervene and save more lives. It is a question that has been asked after every great tragedy, whether caused by the sea, the earth, war, disease or human actions.

But perhaps we must first ask what we mean when we say we want God to intervene. Do we mean that God should prevent every accident, stop every storm, remove every danger and override every decision made by human beings?

If that is the case, then we must also ask what kind of world that would create. Would it be a world where human beings have no responsibility because every mistake is corrected before harm is done?

The tragedy of the MV Barima is a reminder that human beings live in a world governed by natural laws and human choices. Ships float because of engineering principles, storms develop because of atmospheric conditions, and vessels remain safe because people make careful decisions.

God gave humanity intelligence, knowledge and the ability to build, maintain and operate machines. He also gave us the responsibility to use those gifts wisely.

When people fail in their responsibilities, tragedy can follow. A bridge collapses because of engineering failures, an aircraft crashes because of mechanical or human failures, and a vessel can be lost because of a combination of circumstances.

This does not mean God abandoned those who died. It does not mean God ignored their prayers or did not care about their families.

Sometimes we look for God to prevent tragedy, but perhaps God’s presence is also found in how people respond after tragedy strikes. We see it in the courage of rescuers, the compassion of strangers and the willingness of communities to stand together.

During the MV Barima disaster, many people ran toward danger while others were running away. Fishermen, members of the Joint Services, medical personnel, volunteers and ordinary citizens risked themselves to save others.

Was God not present in those acts of bravery? Was God not present in the hands that reached out to pull survivors from danger? Was God not present in the prayers, tears and support offered to grieving families?

The difficult truth is that faith does not promise that believers will never suffer. The Bible itself is filled with stories of faithful people who endured hardship, loss and tragedy.

Job lost his family, his wealth and his health, yet his suffering did not mean God had abandoned him. The lesson was not that good people would never experience pain, but that even in suffering, they were not alone.

When we ask why God did not save more lives, perhaps we must also ask why human beings sometimes fail to prevent tragedies that they have the ability to prevent. Faith should never become an excuse to avoid examining human responsibility.

If there were mistakes, they must be identified. If there were failures, they must be corrected. Seeking God’s comfort does not mean abandoning our duty to seek truth.

A nation can pray and investigate at the same time. A nation can mourn and demand accountability at the same time.

The greatest respect we can show those who died is not only to remember them in prayer but also to learn from what happened. Their lives should lead us to build a safer society where every possible measure is taken to protect others.

Perhaps God did not intervene by stopping the tragedy from happening. Perhaps instead God intervened through the courage, kindness and humanity that appeared in the middle of our darkest moment.

The question is not only “Where was God?” The question is also “Where were we, and what must we do now?”

For those who lost loved ones, there may never be a complete answer that removes their pain. But we can offer compassion, justice, honesty and a commitment that their loss will not be forgotten.

In moments like these, faith does not remove our tears. Faith gives us the strength to wipe those tears, stand together and continue forward.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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• MV Barima, Peeping Tom, Where was God

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