Tuesday, September 12, 2006

It was not God's fault


Every year Sept 11 comes and goes here in the US, and every year we get to hear and watch 24-72 hrs of people mourning, sobbing, and trying to work out how and why such a tragedy could happen in this great nation. But last night I finally had to shut the TV off, after about 20 minutes of watching religious leaders from all faiths and many many people who would profess to be Christians, saying they have turned their backs on God for allowing the tragedies of Sept 11 to take place. That just makes me so sad, and it brought several things to mind.

My bible teaches that God does not cause sin, people sin. And Satan is real, and powerful. He is the king of all lies. And he will do whatever he can to deter and destroy the faith of those who know and love the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We live in a fallen world. Sin affects everyone and everything that we know and love. I myself am one of the reasons that this world is not perfect. And God looks at the sin in my life as equally offensive and disgusting as He looks at the sin in yours, and at the sin in those who caused the events of Sept 11th.

God did not cause Sept 11th. He did not cause Hurricane Katrina. He did not cause the Tsunami that killed so many people in and around Thailand. We can not as a human race love and appreciate the creator and maker of the world when things are going are way, and then detest and ignore that same creator when things happen that we can not explain. When sin enters are lives and touches us in a truely painful and real way.

God knows pain and loss. The Father sent HIS ONLY SON to the cross, allowed him to become that which He most despises, and turned His back on the Son who had done nothing wrong.

The SON knows pain and loss. His whole life He was despised and rejected. His friends never truly got who He was, and when push came to shove, they ALL abandoned Him. Every last one, and He died the most grusome death know to man at that time, and He did it alone.

The SPIRIT knows pain and loss. He guides my heart everyday, leading me in the ways that are good and right, and daily I make decisions that reject and ignore Him. Everyday I do things that say I know that is right or this is wrong, but I am going to do it my way anyway. Thanks for the nudging Spirit, but I have this one.

I dont seek to know or explain how and why the things happen on this earth as they do. I dont think life is easy and I know for sure that there are things that happen which make me look at God and ask, why? But not knowing the answers doesnt make me love God less, or trust Him partially. It causes me to turn back to His Word and to rely more deeply on His promises. And He promises me that one day He will RIGHT ALL WRONGS. That He will come again and redeem and gather HIS PEOPLE. And that one day I will look him square in the face and then I will KNOW all that I dont know now.

I long for that day... sometimes more than others. It is not fair to blame God for the sin in this world or for any of the ways that sin affects human lives. We are not God. We dont see the bigger picture. But, Jesus did. And He does now. That is the hope that I am left with to go on. And if thats what God is willing to give me, I will take it.

Know this for sure: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ WILL come again.
Then, and not now, we will know fully, just as we are fully known.


2 comments:

Priscilla said...

This post is awesome!!!! I with you, sister!
I think in times like 9/11...it just proves to me that I need my savior all the more!

JK said...

Yeah gd post, Its like when people who aren't christians cry out to God to take away the pain and suffering as in the case of 9/11. Asking God to take away the pain so they can get on with there ungodly little lives.