Well, I've been away for awhile. I've had a lot to distract me - going to see grandchildren, setting up a new classroom in a brand-new school, spending time at the cabin in North Carolina; however, the words are in my head. I just haven't taken the time to sit and write. I thought I would spend a little bit of time writing this morning. I am going to attempt to go to church this morning. I have been unable to go since Jacob died and I do miss seeing our church family. Today I am going to attempt it. That's for another post.
So, what does good mean? I'm sure you remember this child's prayer:
God is good, God is great.
Let us thank Him for our food.
I said it as a child and I'm sure you did too, but what does "good" really mean. When using these superlatives "good" and "great", "great" is used to describe something better than "good". For example, when I am grading papers, sometimes I write "very good" if a child does something with just a few mistakes; but if he/she doesn't make any mistakes, I write "GREAT!" So, why do we describe God as both "good" and "great'. Why not just say "great". Okay, I am digressing:
Here's my question: how can God be good when wonderful things happen and yet good when tragedy happens? If I believe that God is really good, than I have to say that He is good no matter what happens.
Ben, our eldest son, is a minister and a very cerebral thinker. I recently visited with him and asked him some of these questions. Richard is SO tired of having this dialogue with me. Anyway, I asked Ben, " Why is it we say God is good when good things happen, but when bad things happen, we don't say 'isn't God good'?" Another question:" When someone survives a difficult surgery or situation, we say 'Praise God! But when they die, we don't say "Praise God.' " I just don't think you can have it both ways and I definitely am not ready to say "Praise God" that Jacob died.
Well, my very wise son responded that he doesn't base his view of God's goodness on circumstances that happen around him or around others. He said that our view of God is so very finite and limited and we try to put Him in a box that is comfortable for us, but He is so much greater than what we can perceive. Ben, please feel free to edit this. I think this is sort of what you said.
I think I can agree with this; however, I'm just not sure I really have any desire to praise God, regardless of the circumstances.
Okay, I have a lot more to say, but I have to get ready for church. I have put off getting ready long enough and I am starting to come up with excuses on why I don't want to go. Here I go.........
Karen, I just started as a follower of your blog...I saw where you had posted something about it on FB...I have a blog with this same site so you are welcome to follow me, if you'd like. I read this by Steven Curtis Chapman (Christian music artist) and thought you'd like it...he wrote it after the loss of his daughter....Love you and think of you often!
ReplyDeleteWho are You God?
Cause You are turning out to be so much different than I imagined
And where are You God?
Cause I am finding life to be so much harder than I had planned
You know that I"m afraid to ask these questions
But You know they are there
And if You know my heart the way that I believe You do
You know that I believe in You
But still I have these questions
... from "Questions by SCC
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI experienced a similar dilemma when my mother died a slow, painful death due to pancreatic cancer and then--just three years later--my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The world no longer made sense to me. My world was not a good place. It was not a safe place. I had lost my faith.
I don’t know why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. I think I finally concluded that God doesn’t play favorites and he’s not vindictive. There’s a randomness in the world that’s beyond reason.
If I believe this last statement however, then why believe in God, why pray, why bother to be a good Christian or a good person if despite one’s innocence, devotion, faith, and works, one may still be subject to undeserved tragedy? I guess I take a similar stance as Ben. I cannot conceive of God’s true will in what I see as injustice or cruel, but I can still believe in Him.
But then…this makes Him seem distance, unknowable. I’m sure if I think long enough I can find more contradictions. And if tragedy should strike me in the face again, who knows what I will think then.
Some time after my father passed I happened upon a book that I found reassuring and enlightening. It was called When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Harold Kushner). The author is Jewish, Rabbi Harold Kushner. I thought you might like that.
Thank you both for your comments. I appreciate your courage in sharing. I know this isn't easy to talk about.
ReplyDelete