Conducter or resister?
Not too long ago, someone asked me, "What do you tell someone, who just can't believe that a loving god would allow an innocent child to be raped?" That's a pretty tough question and at first glance, one is tempted to concede that there aren't any good answers to questions like that. Then I got to thinking, "Just how often does God interfere with our decisions?" I can't think of one time in my life, when I was stopped by divine force from doing something. Sometimes circumstances lend to the interpretation that divine guidance directed me in some way or lead me away from mischief, but that isn't quite the same...
We should like to fault God for not interfering, say, in the rape of a small child; perhaps with a well-timed heart attack or an angry swarm of hornets. But I wonder, would we like the same interference in our greed, gossip, jealousy, envy, pride, laziness, or lust? I can see it now...relaxing in bed on a Saturday morning when I could be doing something decidedly more constructive and suddenly a swarm of bees is in the room, compelling me to reconsider my morning plans. You start to tell your friend that little story about so-and-so and a sharp pain in your chest brings your unecessary revelation to an abrupt end. We cry at your funeral and ponder the possibility of life after death...
Self-determination is at the same time a gift and a curse. We cherish our freedom to choose our own path, but question God when He allows others the same freedom. If it would be just for Him to nuke the pervert who is planning to hurt a child, then He would be just as right to nuke me for hating the pervert. He does neither.
We do have a choice: to agonize over the problem or strive to be part of the solution. We can charge God with lack of action, while ignoring the fact that His chosen means of action is almost universally through us. If we are resisting our role as channels of divine grace to the victims of free will, then it is we, not God, who are limiting His influence in this world.
Conducter or resister? I'm afraid, more often than not, I'm a resister.
We should like to fault God for not interfering, say, in the rape of a small child; perhaps with a well-timed heart attack or an angry swarm of hornets. But I wonder, would we like the same interference in our greed, gossip, jealousy, envy, pride, laziness, or lust? I can see it now...relaxing in bed on a Saturday morning when I could be doing something decidedly more constructive and suddenly a swarm of bees is in the room, compelling me to reconsider my morning plans. You start to tell your friend that little story about so-and-so and a sharp pain in your chest brings your unecessary revelation to an abrupt end. We cry at your funeral and ponder the possibility of life after death...
Self-determination is at the same time a gift and a curse. We cherish our freedom to choose our own path, but question God when He allows others the same freedom. If it would be just for Him to nuke the pervert who is planning to hurt a child, then He would be just as right to nuke me for hating the pervert. He does neither.
We do have a choice: to agonize over the problem or strive to be part of the solution. We can charge God with lack of action, while ignoring the fact that His chosen means of action is almost universally through us. If we are resisting our role as channels of divine grace to the victims of free will, then it is we, not God, who are limiting His influence in this world.
Conducter or resister? I'm afraid, more often than not, I'm a resister.
posted by G.I. Joe | 3:14 AM
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