Wednesday 22 May 2013

God and Tragedy


 The devastation in Oklahoma is horrifying.  We look at it and weep.  At least most of us do.  Being far away from the Christian Right theologically and being somewhat removed from their US base physically, I usually hear about their machinations later.  Apparently some are already blaming the OK tragedy on the victims for their godlessness, etc.  For more on those specifics, read the article by Rachel Held Evans on Abusive Theology.

Tragedies like the OK tornado always bring up questions about the nature of God.  'If God is good, then why do bad things happen?' This and similar questions abound.  I have often been asked this question in smaller context about things like a family member dying unexpectedly, or some other personal tragedy.  
  The easiest, simplest, and most direct answer is 'I don't know.'  But that is the beginning of a conversation, not the end to it. Though the above answer is literally the truth, it is very unsatisfying for the victims or bereaved. What we [The Church] do know is that we are to stand with those who suffer tragedy and to help them heal physically, emotionally and spiritually - to help them to continue to experience the Love of God or to introduce them to it.  As I have mentioned before , Jesus gives one commandment in the Gospel of John [13:34]: Love one another.  At a time of tragedy this commandment is important for what it doesn't say, too -- Do not seek explanations, do not blame victims, do not blame God.  Just love, help, comfort.  This is the Ministry of the Church.  For those of us far away, we help by helping the helpers with donations and prayers.  There will be a time for explanations, for prevention, for assessment, but that time is not now.  Now we help heal.



Thursday 16 May 2013

Forgiveness

First, let me say that it has been a long time since I last posted, which you already know if you have followed. [Are you following?]  I [we] have been busy packing and sorting and then resorting to get down to a manageable size to be able to store a few things while we are in Guyana.  We have had to rethink what is 'essential' several times, but I think we are getting there.

But that is not the topic that is pressing on my mind at the moment.  Forgiveness as a topic has come up several times in the last few days.  We have finished our Bible study of the Gospel of John.  In the second appearance of Jesus after his resurrection [and ascension] he meets the disciples and says, 'If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.' (John 20:22-24)

As the Pastor pointed out, this is the 'great commission' in John - not to go, teach and baptise,  but rather we are told to forgive.  The last bit has bothered me since I was a young child - being able to retain sins at a whim.  But it is not a club we hold over others, rather it shows the power that has been given to humans, and the consequence if we fail in our mission.  If we do not forgive, we miss the opportunity to show God's love. ' For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn [retain the sins of] the world, but that the world might be saved [forgiven] through him.'(John 3:17)

I have been practising to sing Malotte's Lord's Prayer for a funeral which will happen soon.  While going over the markings in the sheet music with the accompanist, we noted that 'Forgive us our debts' is sung a bit faster than what comes before and then 'as we forgive our debtors' is slower.  The accompanist's comment was 'that's because we are slow to forgive.'  Though the comment was humorous, it was nonetheless true.  We are too often slow to forgive, but quick to want it when we err.  A pastor of my youth once told me that 'unfortunately we live in a world where forgiveness is neither understood nor practised.'  It is sad to realise that, since Forgiveness is the heart of the Christian message - not just to forgive when wronged, but to live lives of forgiveness, to have a forgiving spirit, to know that the same forgiveness that God gives to us, we can share with others. 

Lord, give us this spirit always.