Suffering

It has been a while since I've posted any quotes but because Sam and I are dabbling with another blog found here http://lovelifeandmess.blogspot.com/ I thought I would put some up. And so here is the first of a few quotes from the various books I have been reading. Also feel free to interact and join in the conversation, also be encouraged to read these books yourself, you can find links to all the quoted books by clicking on their titles.

Today's quote is from Chris Wright's book The God I Don't Understand. It is a book that I have almost finished, I am listening to the audio version of it while I walk. I find this a great way to read, or should I say listen to, books. This is a wonderfully rich book offering new perspectives on some of life's toughest questions and mysteries.In the chapter titled, "The Mystery of Evil" Wright begins talking about evil; both moral and natural. He explains:

"But there is also a vast amount of suffering caused indirectly by human
wickedness. The drunken driver may survive, but kill or injure other innocent  people. Wars cause so-called collateral damage.Stray bullets from a gang fight or bank robbery kill innocent bystanders. A railway maintenance crew goes home early and fails to complete inspection of the track; a train is derailed and  people are killed and injured. Whole populations suffer for generations after negligent industrial contamination. We can multiply examples from almost every news bulletin we see or hear. These are all forms of moral evil. They cause untold suffering, and they all go back in some form or another to culpable actions or failures of human beings.

Somehow, we manage to live with such facts, simply because they are so
common and universal that we have “normalized” them, even if we regret or
resent them and even if we grudgingly admit that humanity itself is largely
to blame. But whenever something terrible on a huge scale happens, like
the 2004 tsunami, or the cyclone in Myanmar in 2008, or the earthquakes
in  Pakistan, Peru, and China, the cry goes up, “How can God allow such a
thing? How can God allow such suffering?” My own heart echoes that cry
and I join in the protest at the gates of heaven. Such appalling suffering, on
such a scale, in such a short time, inflicted on  people without warning and for
no reason, offends all our emotions and assumptions that God is supposed to
care. We who believe in God, who know and love and trust God, find ourselves torn apart by the emotional and spiritual assault of such events.

“How can God allow such things?” we cry, with the built-in accusation
that if he were any kind of good and loving God, he would not allow them.
Our gut reaction is to accuse God of callousness or carelessness and to demand
that he do something to stop such things.

But when I hear  people voicing such accusations – especially those who
don’t believe in God but like to accuse the God they don’t believe in of his
failure to do things he ought to do if he did exist – then I think I hear a voice
from heaven saying:

“Well, excuse me, but if we’re talking here about who allows what, let me
point out that thousands of children are dying every minute in your world of
preventable diseases that you have the means (but obviously not the will) to
stop. How can you allow that?

“There are millions in your world who are slowly dying of starvation while
some of you are killing yourselves with gluttony. How can you allow such
suffering to go on?

“You seem comfortable enough knowing that millions of you have less
per day to live on than others spend on a cup of coffee, while a few of you
have more individual wealth than whole countries. How can you allow such
obscene evil and call it an economic system?

“There are more  people in slavery now than in the worst days of the pre-abolition slave trade. How can you allow that?

“There are millions upon millions of  people living as refugees, on the
knife-edge of human existence, because of interminable wars that you indulge
in out of selfishness, greed, ambition, and lying hypocrisy. And you not only
allow this, but collude in it, fuel it, and profit from it (including many of you
who claim most loudly that you believe in me).

“Didn’t one of your own singers put it like this, ‘Before you accuse me,
take a look at yourself.’ ” 

While this subject is one with no simple answers I find this quote helpful, offering a perspective I've not come across before. When I call out to God saying, "WHY?" and "How can you allow this to happen?" I also need to be aware that there are a lot of evil and suffering that I'm also directly or indirectly responsible for. It's all good to point the finger at God but I also need to point the finger back at myself and ask the very same question, "WHY?"

What do you think about this quote, does this help or hinder? Any thoughts?

Heaven and Hell

I am currently reading N.T. Wright's Surprised by Hope. It challenges what is generally understood in Christianity about heaven. This quote is from the introduction,

"Traditionally, of course, we suppose that Christianity teaches about a heaven above, to which the saved or blessed go, and a hell below, for the wicked and impenitent. This is still assumed by many both inside and outside the church as the oficial line, which the may or may not accept."

What questions does the idea that heaven is for the "saved and blessed" and hell is for the "wicked and impenitent" raise for you?

God is exalted in his power...

Alright it's a long one but I have been so affected by it I have to post it. This quote is from the Old Testament book of Job, it is a book that I have been listening to (audio book style) on my mp3player. The Audio Book is called the Bible Experience, I've been listening to Job on my morning walks around the lake. If I set the scene you will understand why I posted it. The day was hot, real hot, however when it came to this chapter the wind on the west side of the lake picked up and it started blowing a quite cool but really noisy breeze, Mummy birds and their small hatchling were busy chirping away, Giant pelicans were doing their flybys, and the lake itself just looked amazing. What a beautiful setting to hear about the awesomeness of God.

Job 36:22 - 37:24(TNIV)
22'God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed his ways for him,
or said to him,'You have done wrong?'
24 Remember to extol his work,
which people have praised in song.
25 All human beings have seen it;
mortals gaze on it from afar.
26 How great is God–beyond our understanding!
The number of his years is past finding out.
27'He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams;
28 the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on the human race.
29 Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders from his pavilion?
30 See how he scatters his lightning about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.
31 This is the way he governs the nations
and provides food in abundance.
32 He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.
33 His thunder announces the coming storm;
even the cattle make known its approach.
1'At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow,'Fall on the earth,'
and to the rain shower,'Be a mighty downpour.'
7 So that everyone he has made may know his work,
he stops all mortals from their labor.
8 The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.
9 The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.
10 The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.
12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.
13 He brings the clouds to punish people,
or to water his earth and show his love.
14'Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God's wonders.
15 Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge?
17 You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
18 can you join him in spreading out the skies,
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
19'Tell us what we should say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would anyone ask to be swallowed up?
21 Now no one can look at the sun,
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.
22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
24 Therefore, people revere him,
for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?'

Have you had an experience like this one, where you have been completely in awe of God while being in nature? Share you comments.

The Kingdom of God

"God has called us to feed the poor, but we just want to save their souls. God wants us to change the social systems that oppress people, but we just want to evangelize them. God wants us to reform business practices to be more equitable for the underprivileged, but we continue to make our profit while we hold evangelistic luncheons for our business partners."

This quote was taken from Allen M. Wakabayashi's book Kingdom Come in chapter 8 called Seeing Stars


Thoughts?

Reading the Bible

"I believe everyone should read the Bible, but no one said that everyone should interpret the Bible for themselves and whatever they come up with is as good as anyone else's views." Scot McKnight in The Blue Parakeet

This quote was taken from Scot McKnight's book The Blue Parakeet in chapter 8 called The Boring Chapter (on missional listening) subtitled What does God want to happen to listeners.