Not Why? but What?

Sometimes the news can really start the mind to thinking. The recent arrest of a prominent pediatrician for pedophilia and the destruction of Haiti, among other stories, prompt the question “why”? Philosophers, poets and preachers have offered many explanations. Ultimately all we can do is hazard our best guess and yield to what we perceive through the eyes of faith.

Still there are some things that we can say with certainty. First and foremost is that pain and suffering are never the will of God. Humans have throughout our existence had a tendency to pin our troubles on God; believing that weal and woe always come from a Divine personal intention. People of faith have considered this concept and usually rejected it. Indeed, the book of Job is an extended contemplation of why bad things happen to good people. It is not surprising then that this question was put to Jesus himself in the beginning of the thirteenth chapter of Luke. Jesus eschews any connection to the sinfulness of any victim of tragedy and encourages his followers to focus instead on the larger picture of living more fully into relationship with God. Saint Paul echoes this in the eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans.

I am convinced that when tragedy and disaster strike we are called to cast our eyes and energy into another direction, commended to us by Christ. Consistently, throughout all of the Gospels, Jesus shows a clear preference to the poor, the sick and the suffering. By far, the most consistent miraculous sign he offers his followers is that of healing. So as followers of Christ, we are called to reflect the light that has come into the world, striving to help and bring healing wherever we can. This is why Outreach is a crucial and substantial part of our annual budget here at Saint Peter’s. This is why we send our youth on Mission trips to develop a broader awareness of the vast needs in our world and to help them learn how to respond and make a difference. This is why we pray for those who are sick and in need, hoping that God will open up our lives and use as God’s hands and feet, bringing God nearer. This is why when we lose someone we love we can still make our praise, “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”

So then, when we are confronted by the random events of life, the question to ask is not “Why?” but rather “What?” What CAN I do? What WILL I do? The response to this question must first begin with prayer, as we seek to push aside our own perspective and gain a glimpse of God’s. Prayer helps us break through the illusion of control; that the world unfolds according to our plan. Through prayer, our imaginations and hearts are stirred and we can perceive a wider perspective of opportunities to respond. In the wake of the earthquake in Haiti, this could mean abstaining from spending for personal pleasure in one area in order to give it to those who are in need. In the case of the arrested doctor, it could mean making sure that all of the children in our life know safe-touching and make sure that they know they can trust us if someone does something that feels inappropriate. These are good beginning points and there are many others. By continuing to pray about these and other situations, the Holy Spirit can open up our eyes to reveal other ways to respond. And so I ask all of us to PRAY and to let our prayers lead us into more active responses in our world. We need not be afraid or lost in a sea of doubt. God is GOOD—All the time God is good and will show up! The question is, will we?
Over the last few weeks we have been using this prayer from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer after the Prayers of the People and I commend it to you for your own devotions:

God of peace, let us your people know, that at the heart of turbulence there is an inner calm that comes from faith in you. Keep us from being content with things as they are, that from this central peace there may come a creative compassion, a thirst for justice, and a willingness to give of ourselves in the spirit of Christ. Amen.

As always, I ask for your prayers and hope you know that you are daily in mine.

Peace,

Jeffrey+