The problem of evil...

Epicurus asks...

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”

What is at the root of his question?  All of us look around us a realize that evil exists.  Bad things happen to good people.  Where is God in all of this?


Interestingly enough, God answers these questions by giving us His word.  We must read it to gain an understanding on these issues.  What does his word tell us?  Yes, bad things happen to good people, but nothing happens randomly.  God is personally involved in what happens to us.  God is intricately involved in the details of life.  Evil, wicked things happened to God's people - sometimes as a result of their sin directly, other times as a result of sin in the world.  Time and time again though, God uses the things that we would deem evil or wicked (and justifiably so) to produce the results that He desires - ultimately the results are good and necessary for everyone.


The best example is Christ Himself.  Why did God allow an innocent - completely innocent - man to die with "cruel and unusual punishment".  Spat on, flesh ripped from his back - his legs- his face, his beard plucked - not ever so gently, but torn from his face, a head piece of thorns jammed on his head, beaten with rods, whipped, nailed to a cross, left to hang for hours, eventually pierced in his side to prove death.  Innocent!  He was completely, utterly innocent!  In a way that even our babies cannot claim innocence.  Not only was He not guilty of personal sin as a result of His behavior, but he did not have the original sin of man passed on to Him because His Father was God Himself.  He was without sin, without blemish, without a stain!  He was perfect.


Yet He submitted Himself to a cruel punishment for our benefit.  That we might gain a relationship with the Father.  That we might acquire eternal life.  He chose that for us.  He has made that available to us.  Through an evil, wicked death, He brought the ultimate good to us.


Does this explain away evil?  No.  Does this give us reason to hope when the world around us is evil?  Yes.  


In the vision of the nearsighted, things don't always look clear.  In the ears of the novice, sounds cannot be easily distinguished.  In the hands of the master though, the senseless makes sense, the worthless receives value, the hopeless become hopeful. 

An Interaction on Facebook...

On Facebook today, I saw this picture posted by a friend.  Below it were comments posted by a number of people, many who were praying to God, confessing their own selfishness, seeking to be more compassionate, and thanking Him for His blessings.

However, the following post caught my attention...

Danny Coady

I don't pray or give thanks to an obviously uncaring god and an imaginary friend in the sky because if there was a god 26,000 children wouldn't die every single day from starvation. If you want to make a difference give to the organizations that actually give without the forced religions....give to Kiva. One sure way to eradicate poverty is to liberate woman around the world so they can decide for themselves if raising a child is in their best interest. These are strong words and I believe this is a very critical subject that must be addressed. Only we can make a difference so get off your knees and use your mind.

 

I was going to respond, but then I noticed someone already did - check out this response...

Roberta Kurg

Danny, Not all Church Organizations force religion when they bring the message of hope. Most Church Missonaries raise or pay their own way to other countries to bring food, medical supplies, build schools and give other life sustaining care. The best analogy I can give you in regards to our free will that creates heartless situations - there was a believer of God in the barbers chair and he was trying to bring the message to the baber who was not a believer and the barbers argument was the same as yours - if there was a loving caring God he wouldn't allow, hunger, abuse, disease, war and all of these other senseless tragedies - he wouldn't allow any of this to happen. The believer left feeling sad that he couldn't get his message across to the barber - when he saw a man with a long scraggly beard and hair and he went back into the shop and said to the barber - There is no such thing as Barbers. The Barber replied "what do you mean? I am right here! Didn't I just cut your hair? Trim your beard?" To which the man replied - See that man over there if there were barbers there wouldn't be people with unkept hair or beards. The Barber replied - He wouldn't be that way if he only came to me. I have been a Christian since I was 7 years old. I was Adopted at the age of 7 months by a pedophile, given cigarettes, drugs and alcohol after being raped (which I was from the age of 6 to the age of 13) by my Adopted Father and 2 adopted brothers I had guns held to my head and was shot when I was 9. I have suffered much pain and tragedy some by my own making, most not. I don't smoke, do drugs or drink today. I have to accept personal responsibility for myself and my choices and I know with all I went through I would not be the Mother, Professional, Civic activist that I am today. My choice to follow God and believe is the only thing that allowed me to make choices different from what I was taught in life. Just like the Cops can't use a nun to bust a crack house - God uses people like me that allow him to reach other people and children that are struggling from the abuse as a result of others choices to use their free will for evil. I will pray God will open your heart to see. I don't put myself out here for sympathy, pity and have nothing to gain personally. I don't know you and probably will never meet you. I do know that my God has been faithful and has never deserted or forsaken me. In all love and Peace. God has also restored my Birth Mothers Family to me. He has granted many of my hearts desires in ways that are very obvious that there could only have been divine intervention. 

 

When you think you've got it bad, when you think God has forgotten you, I hope this reminds you to go to Him and look around you at others who need you to show God to them.

What are you saying??

Think about the last 24 hours.  I have talked with numerous people on the phone, face to face, via skype, e-mail, text...  I have done a lot of communicating.  Not an extraordinary amount, probably the same as a typical day. 

My question today is, "If I took all of my words away for the past 24 hours, the past week, the past month, what have I communicated?"

We value the use of words and they are critical.  To understand, to clarify, to explain, to educate, etc.  Our words help us transfer information, emotions, thoughts, passions, goals, etc from one person to another.

I have found recently in dealing with people that my behavior communicates even more than I realize.  I received a call this morning from someone who thought they might have hurt my feelings because of a comment they made yesterday.  Did my behavior communicate that I was "hurt"? 

I have received requests from friends asking me to help them, but they are accompanied by an apology for asking me.  Is there something about the way that I respond to them - without my words - that communicates that they are an inconvenience to me?  Especially since internally I know I love to help people - I wish they would ask more.

I know that sensitivity is not my strongest suit, so I guess that is the motivator for the question.  "If I took my words away, what does everything else communicate to others?"

If I want people to know that I love them, if I want people to know what is important to me, if I want people to believe the things that I believe, my actions better shout out a message loud and clear.

I pray that I would be more effective in showing God's love for others by loving them well with my actions.

Are you fit?

Yeah, I know, not the greatest picture, but it does express something I have been thinking about recently.

Our society is extremely caught up in the appearance of the external.  We are concerned with our weight, our waist size, our body proportions.  We are also constantly bombarded by health from an internal perspective as well.  From your cholesterol count to cancer check ups, we are constantly encouraged to keep up our health.

Because of this we eat differently, drink differently, exercise more, sleep differently, live differently.  We keep before us the health of our bodies, and as a result we change our patterns of behavior.

However, the physical body we have is temporary and will ultimately pass away.  The work that we do to discipline our body to keep it healthy and "in shape" is only temporary.

Imagine if you would a mirror that would allow you to look at the permanent part of yourself, the spirit.  What would your spirit look like?  Imagine if our spirit were able to be seen by others.  How would they respond?  Is it malnourished?  Does it lack any form of discipline?  Is it full of junk and unhealthy nourishment?  Is it dead?

I was thinking about this today because it seems to me the part that God is most interested in is not what is temporary, but that which is eternal.  From his sacrifice on Calvary to save the soul from hell, to the provision of His word for the health of the soul, it is obvious that He is concerned with our spiritual health.

The question for me is, how concerned am I with my health?  Without looking in the mirror, or should I say, intently looking in the mirror, I will not see the condition of my physical body.  Without intently looking into the mirror of God's word, I will not see the condition of my spiritual body.  Of the two, which is more important?

Solomy - The story continues...

On August 25, 2009, I posted a video about a young lady who had been helped by a team member just a few months earlier.  Solomy was destined to crawl on the ground for life.  She did not have the nutrition or medical help necessary to walk, and without the involvement of an AMG Mission Adventures team member, this is where her story would have ended.  However, God saw fit to move in this young lady's life, and now she is going to school, walking with a crutch, and learning and growing each day.  Check this out...

What an incredible joy it was for me to walk along side this young lady as she continues to struggle to get stronger and healthier.  I am excited about what God will do with her as she continues to grow physically and spiritually. 

Uganda Video (Thank You, Aly Houser)