I Need YOUR Help
The past two weeks have been some difficult ones. A lot going on and some big questions arising. The last two weeks in the counseling office have brought on some serious questions, which is where you come in. I need to develop a "Theology of Pain". You know...an answer to "Where is God when it hurts?" or "Where is God when it seems He doesn't care?" A few times in the past few weeks my clients have asked me directly how it is that such horrible (truly despicable) things could happen to them and it seems that God sits back and does nothing. I feel an immense amount of responsibility to answer these questions in ways that honor God and make Him real to these people. I can see their faith hanging by a string and in the moment...well, I just really want to honor God in my answers and also restore some of their faith...and instill hope.
The problem is that this question rings in my own ears from time to time. Abby just recently shared about a friend of hers who had a baby a few weeks ago and then up and died a week later from a blood clot related to labor. She left behind three children and a husband. Stories like this don't make sense and cause (at least me) to occasionally say, "God...are you there? Do you care?" and even occasionally, "Are you sure you know best bc those kids needed a mama?" There is honesty for you.
So my response last week (in a very intense session) was multifaceted. First, there is no real answer to this question. We live in a sin filled world where bad things happen to good people. I think this reminds us that our lives here are not our home...our eternal home is in Heaven. I also believe that God does not justify the bad that happens in our lives, but that He does desire to redeem it and to use it for His glory and our growth. Thirdly, God designed humans with the purpose of relationship in mind. Love is the basis of relationship and you cannot have love without choice. People have free will and unfortunately make a lot of horrible decisions that deeply hurt others...that is not God allowing as much as it is Him allowing us the freedom to move in and out of relationship. As a result...bad things happen to good people. I also shared how God's "No" may in fact be a protective "Yes"...we never know what He is protecting us from when He tells us no...not this month...not this job...not this house, etc. We don't have the full picture.
I don't know if there is more of an answer to these questions or not. I am re-reading Yancey's "Where is God When it Hurts?" and hoping to find more answers. So can you help me? I know this question must prick us all on some level. It is a question I go around and around in my head and with God over...but my life is really so easy. Yes I have experienced pain and betrayal and loss and heartache...but not on the level that some of you have. And certainly not on the level that some of my clients have. So the question is different for me than it is for them. My faith remains firm on the fact that God is sovereign and just and loving. But if I am honest, at this point in my life I can only pray that my faith would remain this strong if I had experienced half of what some of these people have experienced. Do you understand what I mean? I can't say my life has been tragedy free...but no one has harmed me in the ways other people have been harmed and in the face of their doubt, I long to be able to speak words of wisdom that convey the loving Jesus I know. So can you help? Answer this question for me ~
How could a loving God sit back and watch (fill in the blank) happen to me over and over and do nothing to stop it ? What is your "Theology of Pain" but in laymans terms...what would you tell someone who was hurting and asked this question of you?
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