Last week's collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, stunned the citizens of America. It was like a warning shot fired across the nation.

One headline noted that state officials as far away as Massachusetts were poring over records—an obvious reference to the eroding structural condition of the nation's bridges. Statistics indicate that thousands of bridges across America sorely need repair and that for too long the nation's physical infrastructure has suffered neglect.

Yes, those television scenes were heart breaking! Watching family members agonizing over loved ones trapped in cars in many feet of water for hours was tough and emotional.

We witnessed very brave people risk their own lives in an effort to get the children off a school bus that hung precariously on the edge. Such responses to disasters touch all of us.

More importantly, we should consider what ought to touch us even more—the value of human life! Life is very precious to all peoples.

Therefore, disasters should move us to ask the question: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why so much agony, hurt and pain?

Consider for a moment just how much humanity is suffering! This year alone about 20 million people became temporarily homeless from flooding caused by monsoons. Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China and Britain all suffered from flooding caused by excessive rainfall. Countless numbers of people perished in these floods.

Hundreds are perishing regularly and unnecessarily in Zimbabwe from the starvation caused by governmental policies. Darfur is even worse! There hundreds of thousands have already perished from genocide attempts over ethnic and religious hatred and politics.

This reminds us of earlier genocide attempts. Near the end of World War I the Turks massacred close to 1½ million Armenians. Hitler, during World War II, went beyond the Turk's ethnically motivated slaughter with his massive ethnic-cleansing program against Jews and other ethnic groups.

Then there is Iraq today. The human inflicted death toll among ordinary Iraqi citizens is in the multiple thousands. Such tragic examples of disaster, death and suffering are endless.

Yes, death is very sad! Disasters are deeply moving! They also raise huge philosophical questions that concern us all.

Most important is the question: Why does God allow such suffering?

Where is God when disasters strike? Does He have a solution for human suffering? Will there ever come a time when the whole world will be at peace and when all suffering will have ended? Is there any answer to the question posed above: Why are we here?

The answer is a resounding yes! There is a purpose for life, a real purpose. Our Creator God reveals that purpose. We are not merely an evolutionary freak of nature that took billions of years to get to this point of development just so we may experience disaster, war, disease or some other tragedy.

God's solution to human suffering will come when Jesus Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Until then God will allow the current pattern of trials and tragedies to continue. He does not promise to stop famines, manmade disasters, wars or other causes of human suffering until, under Christ's leadership, the whole world ceases to sin with impunity.

Then Jesus Christ will succeed! He will lead all peoples to repentance. They will acknowledge their Creator and obediently bend their knees to Him.

Until then death and destruction will continue—often unrestrained. On this matter, the Holy Scriptures are very clear: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2).

Our Creator, however, is a miracle working God. He will raise the dead, even those who have not yet learned to obey Him (John 5:25). You see, He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). He even explains to us how He will turn this desire into reality.

I would like to offer you two free publications written specifically to help you understand fully and draw right conclusions concerning why God allows suffering and disasters in the world today. They also explain accurately in detail how God will put an end to the terrible curse of