What It's All About

After posting my entry yesterday, bb entered this comment: “Listening to the young Amish women say what I hear all the time, about their time to go, I have trouble with that. I cannot believe a loving God has a horrible end in store for children. Be it cancer or murder.I wish someone could explain that to me.”

This is, of course, one of the perplexities of life. If we knew everything that is in the mind of God and fully understood Him, we would BE God. But I would like to write what I understand to be Biblically true about this issue.

This outlook, "It was their time to go..." etc. is a fatalistic outlook for people who do not consider themselves "believers", and for those who do, it is a belief that God is totally and constantly sovereign. I am in neither of these camps. I do believe in the sovereignty of God. But not in this sense. Here are my beliefs in regard to this.

God knows the end from the beginning. He is not taken by surprise. And in many ways He prepares us for these things. But we are in a world where He has given man "free will". And since Adam, sin and death and grief have entered the world. People "make choices." God did not make the choice for this to happen. But God IS a just and loving God. He will bring grace (obviously has), comfort, solace and healing to these people. Jesus said: "In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

If God had “planned or willed” this to happen, these people would need to forgive God, not the man. But HE is the one who chose to do this horrible act. When we speak of “man’s free will” we are not only speaking of his freedom to be and do and live in certain ways as a being on this planet. That “free will” gives people the ability to choose good or evil. God does not choose or ordain evil. But for this “season” we are in, he will not prevent it from taking place, when someone chooses it.

There will come a day when all this will be different, and in THIS, God IS totally sovereign. He is sovereinly in charge of the “outcome of the story”. HIStory… but that is another subject.

But for now, this is a big part of what our lives are all about. To choose good and not evil in our daily lives. To understand the difference. And to do whatever we can to promote this in our world.

God once said to his people in the days of Moses: “This day I have set before you life and death. Now, therefore choose life, that both you and your children may live.”

In this horrible situation, someone else chose death. But that is NOT the end of the story. Remember? “…I have overcome the world!” (Jesus Christ)

Have You Thought About This...

There is an attitude…something…that seems to have been unleashed in the world, in that certain people feel free to injure, harm or kill innocents, because they are angry with someone or something else.

This is occurring with greater and greater frequency. The World Trade Center bombings; attempted genocides; hijacked airplanes; school massacres; individuals kidnapped and terrorized by someone hating America; fathers killing their own children to get back at the mother; dozens maimed or killed in bombings because someone is angry politically. The list goes on and on.

It is a new phenomenon. There have always been killers who acted in direct retaliation to their hurt. Like taking out a school principal because he angered that person. But it did not include killing half the kids who were his schoolmates.

The bombings often make absolutely no sense. Example: going into a public building in Iraq and blowing up men, women and children of your own faith and race, because you are angry with Americans.

This week’s Amish situation was a classic example of someone who was angry because of wrongs done to him or by him in the past, so he deliberately went out and killed innocents.

It is remarkable that the Amish can extend forgiveness. That will definitely be a major part of their healing from this travesty. But I think God will somehow extract justice.

I have learned something in recent years that I find life changing. Sin and evil are not synonymous. All evil is sin. But all sins are not evil. Evil is in a category of its own. Sin (human failures, wrong choices, human weaknesses etc.) is totally forgivable and forgiven by God when forgiveness is sought. And ANY person can be redeemed upon confession of his sin or evil. But evil itself requires justice. God is a just God. That is why Christians, can personally forgive someone, and yet require just penalty for evil. There are sins of personal failure and weakness. But where evil is deliberately perpetrated against others (Saddam Hussein/Bin Ladin/ Hitler, etc. as examples.) it must be judged. Evil requires justice. Sin is personal, before God. Evil directly harms another person(s). God hates evil. God loves the sinner. We all sin, but we do not all create evil. Satan did, and he will never be redeemed.
So although I admire the Amish in their offering of forgiveness and know that this is imperative to bring healing to themselves and their families, I am not at all sure that is what God would require toward this act of violence. The world looks on and stands in amazement at the compassion and offering of forgiveness in this community. It is appropriate. But I think if there were more of an understanding of the difference between human sin and deliberate evil, and that the forgiveness is meant to set the forgiver free and brings healing, there would be less perplexity in the minds of observers.