In this broken world, we often find ourselves in the midst
of darkness. It may be a personal time
of trouble, an unfortunate circumstance involving family or friends, or a
national crisis such as the terrible shooting in Connecticut that took place
only a couple weeks ago. When faced with
these times of darkness it is natural for us to ask “why”. We often hear, “It’s all part of God’s plan.”
in response to such awful events. These
statements suggest that the dark events we experience are orchestrated by God
to bring about some other good or to keep some greater evil from happening. There are Christian theological traditions
that have such a strict view of God’s sovereignty that these types of responses
are all that can be offered. But what
are we really communicating to those that are grieving when we say that the
evil they have experienced is ordained by God?
What are we saying to those that have committed the evil?
It seems that when we tell someone that a terrible event is the will of God, we are really saying that this darkness, where we all find ourselves in at one point or another, is where they should be. Against all their God given rational and emotional inclinations, the grieving should recognize that what they are experiencing, no matter how terrible, is the will of a perfectly powerful and good God. We are telling them that it is alright to dwell in the darkness of this broken world, and that God’s role in ministering to us in those times is to make us comfortable in the darkness he has created for us. This sounds off to me, and I hope it does to you too.
It seems quite clear that Scripture gives Christians another perspective from which to address the darkness of this world. 1 John 1:5 tells us “that God is light and in him is not darkness at all.” The Christian God seeks to bring light to a world that, in one way or another, choose to be in darkness. God does not wade into the darkness to dwell with us in misery, but draws us out of the darkness of this world and into his light. Those that have entered into the life of God “were once in darkness”, but are now to “walk as children of light”, exposing the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:8). So, how then should children of light react when confronted with the darkness of this world?
I believe that the first thing that we should do is acknowledge the darkness of a situation. God has given us the ability to recognize evil when we see it. When a child is lost at far too young an age, or a husband is lost leaving a young family broken and in sorrow, we should acknowledge with the family that things are now not as they should be. I think it is clear that God desires for children to grow up and for families to be healthy and whole. Yet, we do live in a world where things are not as they should be. It is not helpful to merely lift up the brokenness of this world to the status of “God’s will”, but expose the brokenness for what it is. For some that are grieving, this acknowledgment of the rightfulness of their grief is all that is desired. When the grieving has passed and the time for healing comes, it is then that those affected can see the hope that is available in a live in God’s light; the hope and faith that though life is not what it should have been there is still goodness and meaning in the life lived in the light of God. Together, with the grace of God, the people of God may usher in a world where there is peace and wholeness.
But there is another side to the darkness of this world that is not often addressed. Though I have often heard God’s will offered as comfort to the victim of evil, I have never heard one say that the drunk driver, the rapist, or the murdered should be comforted or justified in the fact that they were participating in God’s will. Yet this seems to be the correct response if they are merely carrying out the will of God, and that their actions presumably were necessary for a greater good or to prevent a greater evil. If the grieving are to be comforted by the fact that their suffering is part of God’s will, then why should the cause of suffering not also be lifted up as the facilitator of God’s will. Obviously, this is not how people react to the perpetrators and causes of suffering. They are held accountable for not doing what ought to have been done, or billions of dollars are spent to fight diseases that take the life of the young, all because we know that things are not what they ought to have been, not matter what theological commitments one espouses in academic journals or on Facebook walls.
What, then, do we say to those that commit the evil acts that cause so much suffering? I think we again begin with acknowledging the evil that has been done. Those that cause suffering have made poor choices, and will face consequences for them. However, these people are not a soiled rag that God has used to do his bidding and that he will now toss to the known consequences of human society and to be condemned to hell once they have lived out their live of punishment and regret. These are broken people that are living in darkness and their brokenness and darkness are seen in the choices they make. We also must acknowledge that these people are loved by God no less than the most righteous among us. Our job as the Body of Christ, is not to leave those that have caused suffering to dwell in the darkness of their brokenness, but to offer our reflection of God’s light as hope for even these. It is not God’s will that people remain lost in their darkness, but that they find the life they were meant to live. We are to minister to them so that they can “cast off the works of darkness”(Rom.13:11), and enter into the divine life where they too may be made whole.
