People often question the goodness and mercy of God, basing their measure on world events or the misfortune and hurt of people around us. "If He's so great (loving, kind, merciful, all-powerful), why do bad things happen to good people?" There are 100's of scholarly books, podcasts and theology courses to tackle this subject.
My workaday, unscholarly, blog-length understanding of bad things happening to good people (our friends and family as well as people in other corners of the world) has unfolded like this,
"We're not pets or puppets for God." That's what my Sunday school teacher said.
God has given us - all of us - free will as proof of that. A supernatural freedom of choice.
With free will for humans comes an infinite combination of decisions and behaviors made every day - across centuries - millenniums! Every person's decisions has consequences that influence future decisions and behaviors. If you have a moral code of any kind, you see some of these as good or bad, sinister or saintly, helping or hurting. Neutral and meaningless.
My workaday, unscholarly, blog-length understanding of bad things happening to good people (our friends and family as well as people in other corners of the world) has unfolded like this,
"We're not pets or puppets for God." That's what my Sunday school teacher said.
God has given us - all of us - free will as proof of that. A supernatural freedom of choice.
With free will for humans comes an infinite combination of decisions and behaviors made every day - across centuries - millenniums! Every person's decisions has consequences that influence future decisions and behaviors. If you have a moral code of any kind, you see some of these as good or bad, sinister or saintly, helping or hurting. Neutral and meaningless.
For Christians, the Bible is a moral reference point. Things that would displease God (sin) almost always displease us as a matter of course - or the consequences of someone else's sin may do so. Even today's heartbreaking disease and inherited deterioration go back to Eden and the beginning of sinful (detrimental) choices that veered from God's perfection.
It's not a punishment or shortcoming of God. God did not build-in disease (but he has provided wisdom and technology to combat it). He does not start wars or create gangs (but He architected the elements of peace - forgiveness, mercy, love, humility, unselfishness). Our human bodies are frail vessels that only last a century at best, but God has provided an eternal life to far exceed that time. Without tears or pain or suffering.
God can be good and there can be a broken world, both.
If you live in Florida, you're going to see a few hurricanes. If you live in this world, you're going to bump into sin or its conseqences.
We're going to get wet. And let's be honest - sometimes we contribute to the puddles that others must walk through!
We can stay inside. We can hunker down in our homes and wait for a sinless, sunny day. Unfortunately, the cloud of sin is persistent and pervasive. Anyway, why give in or give up? We should be more, not less empowered by the freedom God grants us. By God's love. By the Light that does pierce through.
I try to put on a raincoat of faith and forgiveness in Jesus. Try to distribute umbrellas of hope and encouragement. Be ready with fresh, dry clothing for those who are shivering and cold from the deluge. We can't stop the rain - we're humans who get sick and live in dangerous times - but we can help each other through the worst of the storms with God's Grace. God's assurance.
Colossians 3:12-14
"Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
"What do you believe?
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