Grief. Grief and all the things connecting to it. Immediate things like death, murder, cancer…and then all things on strings that swim around those wretched things like shame, guilt, anger, and abandonment. That’s what has been on my mind lately. Not to say I am in a state of grief myself at this time, well whom am I kidding? Of course I am, we all are. Aren’t we? Dumb question.
Recently my heart has been especially taken back by the amount if suffering and evil in this world. I think there has to be a place where as a Christian your walk along a neatly paved road fades into a bumpy jarring road…possibly the road less traveled one may say. A road that conservative frameworks deemed “inaccessible”. There seems to be a disclaimer looming in the air before entering this unkempt road that reads something like “Warning, proceeding down this road implies that you do not fully trust nor believe God’s good character”.
The truth is the truth. Refining faith by question and seeking yields wisdom and deeper knowledge. I want to give God thanks and worship from a heart that is confident of him, not from a heart that is robotically reciting words on a screen in unison with others or seeking him from a place of guilt stricken paralyzing fear. I think it would be more than safe to say that God wants that too...WHY? Why are there such injustices in the world? I think it is so crucial, regardless of your standing with belief to ask that. In our heart of hearts as humans we ache for justice. Go back to the playground. When little Bobby Joe (haha) cut in line something inside you was bothered. WHY? Why injustice? And, why do we innately desire justice?
The classic question posed to believers (and lets be honest, internally by believers) is “If God is good and loving why is everything so messed up?”. I’m not even about to pretend like I can answer that as it should be answered. My pastor broke down the perspective of where this question tends to come from. It is one that is all too commonly adopted. We as humans tend to believe that God is separate from our suffering. We seem to believe that He is absent or punishing or nonexistent. A look to God’s word defies all of these widely accepted notions. Take a peek at the frustration we can relate to in John 12 as Mary and Martha mourn the loss of their brother and cry out “Lord, if you had been here this wouldn’t have happened”. Jesus’ reaction is so key. Jesus weeps. He is not absent, he is not punishing, nor is he nonexistent. He is fully present in their situation and shares in their heartache. Furthermore, a look at Genesis 6 as it reveals the Lord’s sorrow over our sin and in the latter part of verse 6 it says that God’s heart was breaking over us.
God doesn’t stop at feeling sorry for us though. So, Jesus enters into our brokenness, into the war between sin and our souls. He laid sin and death in his grave.
“Yes, Adams one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and a new life for everyone.”- Romans 5:18.
Why sin? Why did it even have to come into the picture? Once again, I cannot begin to answer that as it should be answered. But inferring from our innate craving for justice given to us by a just and good creator and the loving character of God illustrated in the bible time and time again…all I know that I know that I know is that God must be a good God. And yes, it IS that simple. Because if God is a good God, which if he wasn’t good would cease to exist, even on the smallest scale, and if he is a just God than there is a greater purpose to all of this struggle. Would a good and just God drag us through the mud with no intention of restoring and renewing every crevice of our soul and earth? No.
Back to grief. It is a funny thing. It is painful but births such beautiful new life. Nature perfectly reflects this. Check out the seasons…especially winter to spring. Or how about the pain and labor an oyster endures to produce pearls? I just finished reading “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” by Donald Miller and in it he is challenged by filmmakers to write a movie about his life. The filmmakers stress the necessity of struggle in the plot, and I am left to infer that Gods story of redemption needs the same thing. Every good story has struggle. Our emotions are stirred as we root for the character to reign victorious over their opposing obstacle. We feel the greatest sense of relief and fullness when they come out on top.
God is an amazing story teller. He is a good God. Trials and struggle and sorrow and pain can be used by Him for the greater good (Romans 8:28). God has thee best and thee happiest ending to the worlds story that we can ever even fathom. He will make every single thing right. Injustice and grief serve a purpose. Just as Jesus came to put an end to death He will come back again to claim justice for us, forever.
"The LORD will fight for us"-written in Creole.
Like bright stars against the canvas of a dark night, God's glory is beautifully displayed by the contrast of grief.
God's glory and sovereignty has shown so brightly through a family close to me. They have struggled with cancer, having lost one son already and now having another with the same diagnosis...ironically God's goodness exudes from this family and all they have been through. Lisa writes about her struggles and personal journey with God has she confronts grief and struggles. "Blood Brothers" coming out this summer. Check it out! Lisa Delong "Blood Brothers"
No comments:
Post a Comment