Why Would God Allow This?
I wasn’t prepared for the phone call. Jay, an old friend from high school, was understandably angry because a little girl was found raped and murdered.
“Where’s your God in this? Why didn’t He do something?”
“I’m glad you called,” I said, catching a breath. “Just remember, I’m only human. I don’t have all the answers.” God, help me. “You’re not alone in your feelings, Jay. God’s broken about it. He tells us to weep with those who weep, and He does too. Matter of fact, that’s why He chose to become broken for us on the cross. Sin’s deadly.”
“Why’d He let the jerk do it?”
“All I know is we live in a fallen world. God could have crafted robots, marching to His heart, made to love completely, obeying from the start. Instead He made us separate, with built-in modes for choice, so love will prove more precious when we finally hear His voice.”
“Look, I know what you’re doing, Cheryl, but I’m fed up with religion. I just want to be a good person and help people.”
“Then you’re in good shape because ‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’” (James 1:27)
“Well that’s not what I see a lot of Christians doing. I just see a lot of hypocrites.”
“I’m sorry about that. Christ-followers ought to be the best crisis relief workers in the world! Sorry that some Christians give Christ a bad rap.”
Jay softened. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m just sayin’.”
“But I am sorry ~ especially for people who are going to be surprised on judgment day. Christ is all about love, and we’re to love in His name. If we don’t, the Bible says He’s going to say, ‘away from me. I never knew you.’ (Matthew 7:23) God’s pretty serious about us bearing His name.”
“You almost make it sound like you have to be perfect.”
“We’re all in the same boat, and we’re all in process. Christ died for us sinners. He loves us. He redeems and changes the worst of us. And there’s no sin that’s so bad He won’t forgive. He gives people a new heart and a fresh start, then he sends us out to love the hurting ~ like you want to do.
Listen, Jay. I’m glad you’re open-minded because it all starts with you, right here, right now. You can make a difference today. You can follow in the loving way of Christ and show the world how it’s done!”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thoughts?
Have you ever felt like Jay? What would you say to him?
If you’re a Jay today, we’d love to hear from you too!
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Heartbreaking reality. Powerful Truth. {hug}
Thanks, Jenni! Blessings to you! {hug back}
I very much appreciate your interaction with Jeff….allowing him to have his feelings, honoring his questions without having to know all the answers.
I’m convinced that there are times when we try to explain everything to someone, to explain God that only gives God a bad name…. He talks about the “MYSTERY” of evil….” so we will never be able to fully understand it…or the way God can seem silent in the midst of it… C.S. Lewis struggled with it after he fell in love, late in life and his wife got cancer…. Lewis wrote that there are times when it seems like God doesn’t care about us….and he wrestled with the pain, suffering and abuse in this world..yet he had faith in God.
Philip Yancey writes eloquently about the pain of dislocation we feel in this world… in his book, “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?”
I would take a similar approach with Jeff, especially when you’ve invited him to be a follower and make a difference.
I would also share with him how Christ can identify with him, how Christ included a very specific fulfillment of prophecy in His suffering, death and resurrection, (Psalm 69:21), when He hung on the cross, having lost water, lost blood, with HIS nerves on fire, having been abandoned by all those close to HIM during HIS trial…. crying out ‘MY God, MY GOD, why have YOU forsaken ME?”
Christ went through the experience of feeling the dislocation and pain of this world, feeling totally abandoned by God in the midst of this worlds evil…wondering where God was….
Yet JESUS also maintained HIS faith as HE shared HIS feelings with HIS FATHER in this prayer…. then HE said, “Into YOUR hands I commit MY Spirit.”
So Jesus can identify with Jeff’s questions, Jeff’s sense of wondering what is happening in this world and where is God in the midst of brutal abuse… JESUS HIMSELF can identify with that girl because HE was stripped naked, physically violated, shamed and humiliated.. and then they killed HIM…
So HE has earned to right to bring us HIS healing Spirit, HIS faith, HIS trust in HIS FATHER, in the midst of the darkness of this world. And HE has also earned the right to cover the little girl’s life in HIS shed blood, HIS suffering and resurrection….so HE could overcome the evil one…and provide safety for eternity for that little girl.
I’ve worked with more sexual abuse than any other issue…unfortunately…and I’ve seen a lot of healing take place… I’ve had lot of my own questions because of this, even as I’ve seen the healing taking place… and I want to have JESUS faith and trust HE gained while HE was here on earth, wrestling with these same questions…
JESUS wants Jeff to see just how much HE understands Jeff’s questions, Jeff’s pain…and offer Jeff HIS healing presence so Jeff can have faith and trust to follow HIM.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for going through the experience of crying out “Why?” as YOU hung on calvary, naked, abused and shamed, embracing all the “why?” questions of our hearts, as YOU prayed to YOUR FATHER, so YOU could heal us and set us free to receive YOUR Spirit of faith and trust in this fallen, broken world…so we can follow YOU, revealing YOUR love to others.
In YOUR precious name, Amen.
Excellent comments, Paul! Thanks for stopping by! Your helpful insights are much appreciated! I’ll be sure to share them with Jay! God bless you!!
One mistake we normally make is to blame God too quickly for all misfortunes. We have to be aware that as children of God, we need to daily ask him to intervene in our lives. Jesus said, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. God has given the earth to man. We make our own choices. Heaven is God’s throne. To sucessfully live in this life safe and secure, we need Him. We need to daily cry out to him. We are dependent on him; not independent. A branch cannot survive on its own without the tree. We need Him to renew our minds daily so as to make perfect choices and decisions. We need Him to lead us beside still waters.
We need Christ the Lord.
Akin
http://www.hopeagainsthope.org.uk
Quite true, Alinola!
We tend to blame God because our narrow vision makes it difficult to trust Him. I like what you say about being dependent on Him. This takes trust too ~ but we’re all the better for it! Thanks for sharing!!
Cheryl