Where's God Now?
Dear Friends,
In the course of the last few weeks -- the hurricanes, the plane and train crashes, floods in India, massacres and genocide in Darfur -- there has been ample opportunity for us to ask: Where is God? In the face of profound human suffering it is hard for us to imagine any God at all. Looking at human pain brought on by natural and human causes is enough to make atheists of us all -- or if we are more polite, agnostics (those for whom the jury is still out).
As I was looking at my email this morning, I noticed a number of appeals by organizations addressing the needs present in the face of natural and human-caused disasters. There are people who are trying to help. There are people working hard to relieve pain and distress. These folks wade through flood waters, provide food for hungry refugees, and advocate for those who have no voice. These are people who put their bodies on the line to help defend those who face violence and injustice. I notice such efforts and I am awestruck, much in the same way that I am awestruck as I perceive God working in my life and in the lives of those I know. So, when I ask the question about God's existence now, I say that I see God present in acts of love and compassion for others. But it goes a bit further than that...
When people who act compassionately towards others are asked, "Where is God for you in this?" they often respond, "I am serving God. God is in the person I am helping." When Jesus walked among us, he was not concerned about our reciting rote formula of belief. He did not ask us to hold to any creed. Rather, Jesus responded to the needs of others as they presented themselves to him. Further, through parables and sayings he encouraged us to do the same. In his parable of the Good Samaritan he found God in the relationship between the Samaritan and the man left for dead by the side of the road. This is where we meet the Holy One -- as we open our hearts to the other, to the one in need. After Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, he asked his hearers, "Who acted as neighbor to the man?" They responded, "The Samaritan." "Go and do likewise," was Jesus' response.
Disasters and suffering raises deep philosophical questions. We need to be careful: these questions really only serve to distract us from what is at hand. Jesus told a very concrete story with a very concrete point: "Go out and be a neighbor to others." That's where we will find God.
Blessings,
David
In the course of the last few weeks -- the hurricanes, the plane and train crashes, floods in India, massacres and genocide in Darfur -- there has been ample opportunity for us to ask: Where is God? In the face of profound human suffering it is hard for us to imagine any God at all. Looking at human pain brought on by natural and human causes is enough to make atheists of us all -- or if we are more polite, agnostics (those for whom the jury is still out).
As I was looking at my email this morning, I noticed a number of appeals by organizations addressing the needs present in the face of natural and human-caused disasters. There are people who are trying to help. There are people working hard to relieve pain and distress. These folks wade through flood waters, provide food for hungry refugees, and advocate for those who have no voice. These are people who put their bodies on the line to help defend those who face violence and injustice. I notice such efforts and I am awestruck, much in the same way that I am awestruck as I perceive God working in my life and in the lives of those I know. So, when I ask the question about God's existence now, I say that I see God present in acts of love and compassion for others. But it goes a bit further than that...
When people who act compassionately towards others are asked, "Where is God for you in this?" they often respond, "I am serving God. God is in the person I am helping." When Jesus walked among us, he was not concerned about our reciting rote formula of belief. He did not ask us to hold to any creed. Rather, Jesus responded to the needs of others as they presented themselves to him. Further, through parables and sayings he encouraged us to do the same. In his parable of the Good Samaritan he found God in the relationship between the Samaritan and the man left for dead by the side of the road. This is where we meet the Holy One -- as we open our hearts to the other, to the one in need. After Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, he asked his hearers, "Who acted as neighbor to the man?" They responded, "The Samaritan." "Go and do likewise," was Jesus' response.
Disasters and suffering raises deep philosophical questions. We need to be careful: these questions really only serve to distract us from what is at hand. Jesus told a very concrete story with a very concrete point: "Go out and be a neighbor to others." That's where we will find God.
Blessings,
David
posted by FirstUCCSR at Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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