As I enter the 3rd week of Lent, I direct my attention to Christ Jesus, and His time in the desert....40 days being tempted by the Evil One....highlighted by the 3 temptations the Sacred Scriptures describe......
Suffering...Tragedies...Loss of Life...are these things the "Acts of God?" Are the "Acts of Suffering" we see and read of....is it a Christian issue?...or is it a human issue?
In my lifetime, in fact in just the recent past, I can look at: 1) Sikhs at their worship near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the tragedy that took place there, 2) the Amish school children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 3) the Archbishop of a Roman Catholic Diocese, Oscar Romero shot while saying mass at a chapel in a hospital in San Salvador,4) the Newtown tragedy, 5) the Aurora and Columbine tragedies, or the Rwanda massacres.
And if that is not enough, there are natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, Katrina, the Japanese tsunami, or the terrible tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Or, how about personal tragedies like loss of a child, a marriage, or a family member?
Then I attempt to put some weak moral outlook...to all this. It's sheer lunacy!
In the Gospel of Luke 13:1-9...Jesus Himself is addressed with a couple of tragedies that had occurred recently in His time period. You would think His response might be something like: "Just as innocent people suffer violent acts randomly, so you, although innocent, can expect to see or face suffering as well."....But, He did not say that.
Throughout history, both in Jewish culture and other cultures, we often have that "If/Then" outlook on the sufferings and tragedies of life. "If something bad happens to someone...then it must be because of their behavior...they are wicked and God is punishing them for it."
In the Gospel of John 9:2, the disciples address Jesus with a question about a man who is blind...asking Him: " Rabbi, who is it that sinned that caused his blindness...this man or his parents?" Jesus response was "Neither...".
What makes this whole subject even more confusing...is the love and compassion God has for each one of us...to the point of sending His Only Son....to die a horrible death that He might rescue us from sin.
For myself, I don't think the answer lies in trying to figure out the "whys" of sufferings....I don't think we were made that way....I think it comes down to where we stand...if "all hell comes against us"....things don't make sense....and "Life is not fair"...yet we by His Grace can be. Life may not be faithful to us like we would think or dream of...but we must be.
Like in insurance policies we have all read of the "infamous exclusion"...an "Act of God". The question I ask myself...is a tragedy really an "Act of God"...or is my reaction to a traumatic situation resulting in "rising above" the circumstances and doing ordinary and/or extraordinary things...is that the real "Act of God?"
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says to the people around Him in Luke 12:56..." You can interpret the weather...yet you are not able to interpret the present times."
I don't think Christ Jesus was just speaking of "last day stuff", I think He was challenging us to understand a little more about tragedies and sufferings we all face in life...and how to deal with it...not by declaring simply innocence of those who have suffered....for where is the comfort in that?, nor by saying God was the Author of horrific actions by nature or by humans.
I think for myself...I must keep my heart set on His love for each one of us....and regardless how "gut-wrenching" life may be at times...my focus on life remains...on Him. He will provide us with insight, with direction, and with comfort to get us through it.
For it seems looming behind all this suffering...is the miracle of it all...God comes into our very lives.......but....How?
In Luke 13, Jesus reacts to tragedies in what I would call a "weird way". Instead of having pity or saying something compassionate about the lives that were lost....He speaks about....Repentance? Yep,...'gotta look at this Scripture a little more.....
Suffering...Tragedies...Loss of Life...are these things the "Acts of God?" Are the "Acts of Suffering" we see and read of....is it a Christian issue?...or is it a human issue?
In my lifetime, in fact in just the recent past, I can look at: 1) Sikhs at their worship near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the tragedy that took place there, 2) the Amish school children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 3) the Archbishop of a Roman Catholic Diocese, Oscar Romero shot while saying mass at a chapel in a hospital in San Salvador,4) the Newtown tragedy, 5) the Aurora and Columbine tragedies, or the Rwanda massacres.
And if that is not enough, there are natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, Katrina, the Japanese tsunami, or the terrible tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Or, how about personal tragedies like loss of a child, a marriage, or a family member?
Then I attempt to put some weak moral outlook...to all this. It's sheer lunacy!
In the Gospel of Luke 13:1-9...Jesus Himself is addressed with a couple of tragedies that had occurred recently in His time period. You would think His response might be something like: "Just as innocent people suffer violent acts randomly, so you, although innocent, can expect to see or face suffering as well."....But, He did not say that.
Throughout history, both in Jewish culture and other cultures, we often have that "If/Then" outlook on the sufferings and tragedies of life. "If something bad happens to someone...then it must be because of their behavior...they are wicked and God is punishing them for it."
In the Gospel of John 9:2, the disciples address Jesus with a question about a man who is blind...asking Him: " Rabbi, who is it that sinned that caused his blindness...this man or his parents?" Jesus response was "Neither...".
What makes this whole subject even more confusing...is the love and compassion God has for each one of us...to the point of sending His Only Son....to die a horrible death that He might rescue us from sin.
For myself, I don't think the answer lies in trying to figure out the "whys" of sufferings....I don't think we were made that way....I think it comes down to where we stand...if "all hell comes against us"....things don't make sense....and "Life is not fair"...yet we by His Grace can be. Life may not be faithful to us like we would think or dream of...but we must be.
Like in insurance policies we have all read of the "infamous exclusion"...an "Act of God". The question I ask myself...is a tragedy really an "Act of God"...or is my reaction to a traumatic situation resulting in "rising above" the circumstances and doing ordinary and/or extraordinary things...is that the real "Act of God?"
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says to the people around Him in Luke 12:56..." You can interpret the weather...yet you are not able to interpret the present times."
I don't think Christ Jesus was just speaking of "last day stuff", I think He was challenging us to understand a little more about tragedies and sufferings we all face in life...and how to deal with it...not by declaring simply innocence of those who have suffered....for where is the comfort in that?, nor by saying God was the Author of horrific actions by nature or by humans.
I think for myself...I must keep my heart set on His love for each one of us....and regardless how "gut-wrenching" life may be at times...my focus on life remains...on Him. He will provide us with insight, with direction, and with comfort to get us through it.
For it seems looming behind all this suffering...is the miracle of it all...God comes into our very lives.......but....How?
In Luke 13, Jesus reacts to tragedies in what I would call a "weird way". Instead of having pity or saying something compassionate about the lives that were lost....He speaks about....Repentance? Yep,...'gotta look at this Scripture a little more.....
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