DAILY BYTE
We claim some terrible things in the name of God.
Not so long ago there was an international furore when Sharon Stone said that China’s recent earthquake was cosmic, ‘karmic’ payback for their oppression of Tibet. We hear of so much violence, revenge and punishment being claimed as the will of God that frankly it makes me feel queasy.
AIDS is punishing homosexuals and Hurricane Katrina was the will of God for sinful New Orleans. On a personal level we often think the same way – if something bad happens to us we blame God, wondering what on earth we have done wrong to deserve this!
But is God really like a chess player?
Is each movement in the great human drama directly made by God? Does God use us like pawns on a board to fulfil a plan, and so no matter how devastating and painful an event is, it is brought to us as part of this plan?
“Que sera sera,” we say in response, “what will be, will be.”
I want you to help me illustrate exactly what this point of view is saying. Walk up to a work colleague or family member, lift your hand to their eye level, extend your index finger ... and then poke them in the eye! If they complain, just shrug your shoulders, nod wisely, and say, “Ah my friend, but it was the will of God.”
At the very least that should lead to an interesting theological debate!
Is every hardship in life willed by God? Does every moment where we get poked in the eye part of a plan?
This idea of God as a chess player, that he is behind our suffering does not do justice at all to how God works his will into our world. This is not the loving God that Jesus came to tell us about.
God is always loving and does not will suffering or hardship on us anymore than you would on your own children. However, for true love to exist there HAS to be free choice, otherwise we really would be nothing more than pawns in a game. And for free choice to be real there have to be viable alternatives to God – there has to be consequences and the potential for evil.
The Bible explains that there is a fallenness to this whole planet caused by some of the choices we have exercised as part of our free will. Bad things happen to good people because of this, and not because of God.
God is not behind every bullet fired, nor is his hand on ever plunging knife, or on every steering wheel going tragically wrong. God did not will xenophobic violence, AIDS, or any personally traumatic life incident you may have suffered. Today’s prayer and reading will be replaced by the following quote found in a book by Adam Hamilton which you may find helpful.
“Suffering is not God’s desire for us, but it occurs in the process of life. Suffering is not given to teach us something, but through it we may learn. Suffering is not given to punish us, but sometimes it is the consequence of our sin and poor judgement. Suffering does not occur because our faith is weak, but through it our faith may be strengthened. God does not depend on human suffering to achieve his purposes, but sometimes through suffering his purposes are achieved. Suffering can either destroy us, or it can add meaning to our life.”
