What's All This God Talk?

Some in the midst of the deep pain and anguish of this evil attack on September 11 cry out at God in bitterness, blaming Him for allowing such a terrible and devastating tragedy. Surely, any God worthy of our worship would have both the will and the power to prevent the evil perpetrated on so many innocent people in our nation. A God worthy of our honor, it is reasoned, would not have allowed so many senseless deaths, so many shattered families.

The logic and passion of such sentiments are not lost on thoughtful people and yet it is not very comforting. If there is no God or if God is unwilling or unable to deal with evil in a meaningful way, then "all is vanity," as the writer of Ecclesiastes suggests. And this perspective of life inevitably leads to emptiness, bitterness, despair, and hopelessness. Blaming God doesn't make us feel any better. Blaming God doesn't heal the ache in our hearts. Even the satisfaction of our desire for a just punishment is short-lived and does not bring dead people back to life. Without an all-powerful and all-loving God, there is nowhere to turn.

It is no wonder then that so many people turn to God in times of great distress. It is natural for people to turn to God to look for comfort in the midst of pain, for strength in the midst of impotence, and for hope in the midst of despair. One of the many nerves that was struck in last Tuesday's cruel act of terrorism was the stark realization that too much of life is in the hands of random chance or ill-fated evil. Few emotions are as humbling as utter helplessness. We long for justice in a world that is often unjust. We long for something or someone to make sense of our greatest tragedies. We long for something secure and solid to lean on for comfort, strength and hope.

God alone is able to take our worst nightmares and use them to actually bring about good in the world. He alone has the might and will to bring all evil to justice in the end. But God does much more than simply execute justice. He raises the dead --- and here is the source of our real hope.

At the very heart of the Christian faith is the cross of Jesus Christ. God, in sending His Son to die for the sins of the world, demonstrates His love for us --- a love that entered into human history and acted in a tangible, concrete way. The cross represents the cruelest evil ever perpetrated --- sinful, prideful humanity rejecting and executing the Son of the living God. Yet God turned what appeared to be such a crushing defeat into His greatest victory by securing salvation for all who will turn in faith to Jesus. And His supreme power was demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ --- God does bring people back from the dead! The resurrection of Jesus paved the way to eternal life for all who will call upon Him for salvation.

We are being told that churches around the country swelled to record levels of attendance last Sunday. May you continue to pursue the strength, comfort, and hope that can only come from God through Jesus Christ.