Suffering & Sovereingty
I don't know what it is about the subject of suffering and
the Christian faith that has so entranced me as of late, but it has come up
again as I have been reading through the book of Job. As I hear the emotion in
Job's questions and the ardent responses of his friends, whom I honestly
believe were trying to give Job the best "answers" they could, I
cannot help but ask the question of "why?" This one little word,
"why," pervades almost every question Job offers up to both his
friends and to God. Is it wrong for the creation to question the Creator? It
becomes painfully obvious that Job finds absolutely no sin in questioning the
reasoning and action of God:
Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to
you? Why do you not pardon my offenses and forgive my sins? (Job 7:20b-21a)
- Martin Luther King, Jr
(from "A Time to Break Silence")
Yet, I think the conclusion reached by Job and his friends
is wholly wrong--at least from my perspective. It seems that in the mindset of
Job and his contemporaries pain, heartache and physical ailments were all
punishments for sin. The way in which God interacted with God's creation was to
bless them when they chose right and to punish them when they chose wrong. This
theme recurs again and again throughout the book of Job, and I honestly believe
we, as the modern Church, have assimilated it, meaning the mindset of Job and
his contemporaries, into our own theological understanding of suffering. Yet,
we must ask the question of whether such assimilation is a correct
understanding, theologically, of how God chooses to interact with God's
creation.
As a 21st century, American Christian, I often hear
preachers and pundits alike blame hardship, pain and loss on the
"sovereignty of God." Am I the only one who fears this is simply a
cop out for not wanting to tackle the truly tough issues? Can we really believe
that all the evil and pain in this world is the work of God? Now don't get me
wrong. Theologically, I do believe God created this world in such a way as to
necessitate natural consequences to certain decisions. Yet, for me, I cannot
rationalize the loss of a child to a mother who has no other as the
"sovereignty of God." I can say that I am sorry for their loss and
wish there was something I could do. But it's lazy of me to simply say that
God's sovereignty is to blame.
In the past, I read a book by Tony Campolo entitled Speaking
My Mind. In one particular section, Campolo tackles this very subject regarding
God's control (read: sovereignty) over this world. In Campolo's own theological
estimation, God is not in control over every action or consequence that occurs
in this world. While he affirms my above theological understanding and does not
limit God's ability to interject miraculously into this created world, Campolo
fails to believe that God is responsible for such horrible things as the mass
murder of millions of Jews, the loss of young life or the terrible ravages of
war. To blame God for such things is to fail to look at ourselves as
responsible--whether directly, through our own actions, or indirectly through
the results of sin.
So, then, what do we say when bad things happen, especially
when they happen to "good people?" Well, we offer our support, as
Job's friends tried to with their limited understanding, but more importantly
we offer our prayers. Romans 8:28 says,
So, while God may not be to blame for our suffering and
pain, God is responsible for helping us discover a means of coping, a means of
dependence upon God and a means of sharing commonality with all of humanity.
May all your times of suffering be peppered with moments of
God's peace.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Labels: God, Sovereignty, Suffering, Theology
A True Revolution
This quote comes from King's address given on April 4th,
1967 at Riverside Church in New York City. Much was said about his
confrontational stance on the war in Vietnam and whether Dr. King should have
merged it with the ongoing struggle for civil rights. The fact of the matter is
that King believed he could not remain silent about injustice no matter where
it may be found. Regardless of his own personal struggles, Dr. King leaves a
legacy of prophetic vision and voice that is badly needed today.
"When machines and computers, profit motives and
property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets
of racism, materialism, and militarism, are incapable of being conquered. A
true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and
justice of many of our past and present policies."
The Pope & Politics
While I must admit I am not one for Catholic theology,
harboring many reasons for disagreement with my Vatican-devoted brothers and
sisters, I do appreciate the opportunities the Pope is given to speak up in the
face of injustice. In his forthcoming book entitled "Jesus of
Nazareth," Pope Benedict calls "rich" countries to task for
plundering Africa and other poor regions of the world for monetary gain. It
seems as if the Pope, and his predecessors, have always been a conscience for
the Western, imperialist world, but it's always a welcome surprise when the
Pope and the Vatican use their given platform to stand up for those
individuals, and countries, who have been the brunt of mistreatment and
pillaging.
In a related note (which may only seem related in my own
mind), Kim Fabricius has posted another one of his enlightening "Ten
Propositions" over at Ben Myer's blog Faith & Theology. This
particular post, and why I believe it is related to the above story, is
entitled Ten Propositions on Political Theology. It is Kim's position that
Christian theology, and the scriptures as well, cannot be divorced from their
political underpinnings and foundations. To do so would be create numerous and
vast holes in our system of belief. My favorite line from the post is this:
"We should not fear dirty hands but bloody hands." Hopefully you will
see how it is related to the above article upon reading it.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Don't Almost Give
Thanks are due to a friend of mine for providing me the web
address for this particular campaign undertaken by the Ad Council, an
organization that happens to be the largest producer of Public Service
Announcements. Recently, as of September 2006, the Ad Council began a campaign
entitled Don't Almost Give. This particular campaign is an effort to raise
awareness of community involvement, volunteerism and sharing with those with
whom we share many of life's moments. I would encourage you to check out their
website, which contains all the PSAs which are a part of the campaign. Each of
them is worthy of a viewing.
If you're looking for ways to get involved in areas where
your particular interests may lie, the Ad Council also provides links to particular
organizations which deal with various areas of service.
Soli Deo Gloria!
1 Corinthians 6:11
There was a time when some of you were just like that,
but now your sins have been washed away,
and you have been set apart for God.
You have been made right with God
because of what the Lord Jesus Christ
and the Spirit of our God
have done for you.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Labels: Corinthians, Scripture
