We Don't Know, but We Do

When tragedies like the earthquake in Haiti strike, we invariably deal with the same questions about why God would allow such a thing, is He really sovereign, is He really good, and so on. When there is nothing traumatic going, we settle for some understanding that of course, God is good and sovereign. Then tragedy strikes, and we re-ask the questions - apparently the answers that come when things are going well do not really satisfy us. We wrestle with the questions, then the angst dies down over time, but as soon as the next tragedy strikes, we ask those same questions yet again.

It seems like we can never find an answer that satisfies us enough to carry us through in the midst of trauma.

And apparently, we won't be satisfied until we know why these things happen in God's universe. Are we destined to re-ask and re-ask these questions without end and without satisfaction?

This dissatisfaction can lead to two opposite reactions: On the one hand, we can develop a growing skepticism about God. On the other hand, we can presume to know God's purpose and declare it with false confidence, despite the lack of any direct knowledge. (I believe Pat Robertson fell into this trap in the past week when he declared the cause of the earthquake to be a supposed pact Haiti had made with the devil - accurate or inaccurate, he has no way of knowing this to the degree that he proclaimed it to be true. Plus his gaping lack of genuine compassion was very unlike Christ. Besides, how an entire country could make a pact with the devil is beyond me.)

Can we find an answer that will satisfy us?

I make the following observations:

• The man Job, who suffered such tremendous personal tragedy, never got an explanation as to why he had suffered so much. And yet, he found himself clinging ever tighter to God (Job 42:1-6).
• In God's speeches to Job (Job 38-41), God basically shows Job that God, being God, does not need to check His reasons with us before acting. But also, being God, everything He does is good, even the things that are hidden from our counsel.
• God never promised us that He'd explain everything to us here. He promised us that He is working all things together toward His great and good purposes for His children (Rom 8:28).
• We don't know always why God allows tragedies to occur, but we do know how He wants us to respond to them. He wants us to aid the afflicted, even at personal cost. He wants us to share the love of Christ. He wants us to intercede on their behalf. He wants us to work in advance of tragedies in order to avert them or to be prepared to respond to them.

We struggle because we don't know all the "why's." But when we consider what we do know, we realize that He's given us more than enough knowledge to respond in the way He desires us to, and to trust that He does in fact know what He's doing.

The "why's" will be answered eventually. We already know what He wants us to do now.

Things I Never Asked For

I never asked to work with youth as a volunteer.

• Even though I had no rapport with the youth, the youth pastor of our church in Austin asked me to help develop a youth retreat based C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, which soon led to weekly involvement with the youth.
  

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have seen how teachers can use creativity to challenge young minds.

I never asked to teach Sunday School for adults.

• I rejected requests to teach Sunday School year after year, but then our church in Seattle needed an occasional fill-in, which eventually led to me being the only teacher left.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have developed a love for bringing God's Word into the lives of others.
  

I never asked to be changed from developing software in OS/2 to developing software in Windows.

• I loved OS/2 and hated Windows, but upper management didn't love OS/2 and canceled our project. My choices were to leave and pay back over $10,000 of moving expenses, or work in a Windows environment.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have ended up in management, which then led to other things I didn't ask for.

I never asked to be a manager in the software industry.

• I professed repeatedly that I would never go into management. One day, one of the vice presidents of the company said, "You're a manager, starting tomorrow."

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have begun the process of learning leadership skills which would later be crucial in church ministry.

I never asked to have a separated shoulder.

• Night skiing sounded like so much fun.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I may never have gotten serious about serving Him as He revealed His will to me during recuperation.
  

I never asked to give up career pursuits in order to go to seminary.

• Every told us we were crazy to give up software to go into seminary - it was pretty "foolish" to give up something that came naturally and that I was good at in order to pursue something that is way outside of the area of my strengths.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have known what He's been preparing me for all along.

I never asked to be a pastor.

• Our plans going into seminary included all kinds of scenarios, none of which included pastoring. Before I knew it, I was asked to join the staff of a church in a wild experiment, even though I had already rejected the idea.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I never would have seen God at work in lives like I have as a pastor.

I never asked to live in a small town.

• And I especially never asked to be placed 100 miles from the nearest Starbucks! (A problem now remedied.)
  

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I would not have had to face how theology meets everyday life in so many ways.

I never asked to be childless.

• In fact, I was coldly critical of those who chose childlessness.

• If God had not given me what I didn't ask for, I would have missed out on transformative lessons on compassion, purpose, and the extent of God's sovereign goodness.

Matthew 6:6-13

But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So pray this way:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored,

may your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Locusts and rain

I've been going through Joel in my Quiet Time lately, and received a great reminder about God's sovereignty.

Joel begins by describing a devastating invasion of locusts that plagued Israel, resulting in the loss of all the crops for a couple of years. Over thousands of years, that region has suffered several locust invasions, including a particularly catastrophic invasion as recently as 1915. Joel describes the invading hordes of locusts as an "army" that destroys everything in sight ... and then the second wave comes and destroys more, and then the third, and then the fourth! Interestingly, one of the gravest tragedies is that a lack of crops means nothing for the offering in the temple.

But the locusts are not just a "natural phenomenon." They were sent by God. Joel describes the army as God's army who march according to His commands. God sent the locusts because of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness to the covenant. But it was not just for punishment - it was a passionate plea for Israel to repent and return. His purpose was to discipline as a parent so that they would come back to Him.

Joel also describes Israel after God sends the rains and the crops begin to grow again, even into great abundance. God forgives and restores, and showers Old Covenant blessings on His Old Covenant people. Just as they lamented not being able to bring offerings to the temple during the lean years, they rejoice that now they can bring offerings in abundance when the bumper crops come in.

We moderns don't often credit God for the rains which bring the crops, which in turn brings abundance. We can hold the odd opinion that God did send the rains back then, but somehow God modernized along with mankind and now leaves all the rain to natural processes. (Or, we just question that God ever sent rain at all, even in the Old Testament.) We are even more reticent to give God "credit" for the locusts. We don't like the idea of Him disciplining or punishing us, because we live under grace. Strangely, we're slightly more willing to give Him credit for rain than locusts - we can give Him credit for the good stuff, but not for the bad stuff, right?

But, the locusts weren't really "bad stuff" in Joel. Yes, it was horrible for the people - a plague like they've never seen before. But it was for their good. God doesn't delight in the necessity of sending locusts, but He sent them because of the good He wanted to cause. Joel easily and freely gives God credit for the locusts because God 0nly had Israel's good in mind.

I believe God sends the rain and the locusts. I don't assume that locusts automatically mean that we have sinned and God is directly punishing us - that clearly is a feature of the Old Covenant in particular. However, I cannot believe that God is less sovereign over the elements as He used to be. I believe He controls everything, and that He does so with a purpose of good. And I must believe that even locusts are sent our way for our good - perhaps in ways we can't even fathom right away.

But this does not stop with literal locusts. At various times in our lives, we have "locusts" - an invasion into our lives that seems to be more about destruction than anything else. If God is as sovereign now as He "used to be," then those locusts in your life are no less random than in Joel's day. The are part of His purpose for good.

What does Joel tell the Israelites to do in response to the locusts? Cry out! Weep! Turn to God! That's the right response to locusts. Cry out! It hurts. Weep! It's sad. Turn to God! That's all He ever wants from us, anyway. Don't pretend to understand why the locusts have come, but know that the right response to locusts is to cry out and weep and turn to your God for comfort and help.

God brings both the locusts and the rain.