The 1040 Window

In light of the catastropic Tsunami disaster, dialogue around this event has not ceased. At a birthday party last night a good friend and I were talking about the Tsunami and something very interesting was raised, regarding the 10/40 window. Let me explain..

Christian Missionaries have long attempted to reach a region of the world known as the 10/40 window:

The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians in the world. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China.

According to Urbana speaker Luis Bush:

And there is one part of the world that more than any other desperately needs the gospel today. If you were to look at a world map, you would observe a geo-political region from 10 degrees north of the equator to forty degrees north of the equator from West Africa to East Asia that could be called the 10/40 window where the evidence of Christ’s Lordship is strangely missing:
This is a significant region because it is the cradle of civilization, and where God’s dealings with man were worked out as recorded in the biblical account. Yet this is the region of the world where Christ’s Lordship is most clearly absent in our day. Here you will find almost 100% of the people living in the 55 least evangelized countries. Here you will see over 8 out of 10 of the poorest of the poor. In fact in the 10/40 Window there are 2.3 billion people who are both among the poorest of the poor as well as least evangelized.

If we were to make a comparison between the 10/40 “window” with the current Tsunami wake:

What’s the point? Is it purely coincidental? I’m not a doomsdayer nor am I a bible-thumper, what I am is a rational Christian. I don’t expect anybody to notice this evidence and become a Christian (to become a Christian requires so much more), but to begin to think carefully of what God is thinking and what He is desiring of man. God does not desire the destruction of men, rather its quite the opposite:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Ti 2:1-4)

Furthermore God says he takes no pleasure in the death of people:

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live.” (Ezek 18:32)

“Do no let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2Peter 2:8-9)

God’s ultimate desire is for men to live and repent of their sin and come to the saving knowledge of Him. “Where is God?” you may be worndering? God’s promise does not fail, nor is God slow about His promises. Do not worry, His promisses will come. The fact that He delays His promise of judgement is actually an act of His grace. The longer He delays in His coming, the more He would allow to come to know Him. In short God wants us to know Him through faith in Jesus Christ as He delays in His return.
Going back to that passage in 1Tim, the Apostle Paul continues to say:

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. (1Ti 2:5-6)

Was the Sumatra quake and act of God’s judgment on the 10/40 window? Not certain. However, I am certain of two things. One, that we are to weep with those who weep, pray for those who are in need at this desperate hour offering any help that we can. Two, that God wants our full and complete attention and desires of us to know Him through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, the only mediator between man and God.

[update: 2/14/05] Here’s another article I found that shares my thoughts