Surrender To Good

A few months ago, I challenged us to consider the question, "Why is there suffering in the world?" Our first answer came from Bart Ehrman's scripture analysis--humans suffer because they are being punished by God for their sin(s). Responses to this idea were strongly negative. I'm still reading Ehrman's book, but came across another idea.

In Lyn Cote's book Her Healing Ways, Lon and Mercy, the hero and heroine, are discussing why God did not intervene to stop The Civil War. Mercy, a Quaker, says,

"...God cannot make humans do something they do not want to do. The Confederacy would not surrender until it could no longer go on."
"So evil exists because people won't surrender to good?" Lon asks.
Mercy answers, "Yes...If we all put our efforts into doing the good for others that God wants for us, this world would be a better place."

Her Healing Ways, pg. 214

In this view God does not have any hand in suffering. God does not intervene. Humans bring suffering on themselves. I have also heard this concept illustrated through the American Indian story of "Feeding the White Dog". A young Indian battles good (the White Dog) and evil (the Black Dog) in his dreams until the elder explains, "Feed the White Dog".

This concept does not cover the suffering that comes from illness or natural disaster, but I believe that it covers quite a bit of the world's suffering instigated by one of the Seven Deadly Sins (greed, lust, gluttony, sloth, envy, pride, and wrath). These are all propagated by humans. It also covers the internal suffering we bring on ourselves--holding a grudge, clutching to past injuries, choosing to live in pessimism instead of optimism.

What do you think? If we all "surrender to good", would suffering be eliminated from the world?

Why We Suffer

Yes, this would be the universal question. I've kicked it around myself and had come to the conclusion that there is suffering in the world because either humans create the suffering (either for themselves or for others); or because the natural system of God's creation does (hurricanes, disease, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.). My own suffering has provided opportunities for my growth or someone else's and for pure wallowing in the experience of pain and loss. I haven't delved much deeper than that.

I have been on a reading journey with Bart Ehrman, a professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, just minutes from where I live. His books reflect and reveal his own spiritual journey in which he becomes an Evangelical Christian, but as he studies and prays and discerns, he gradually becomes an agnostic. What intrigued me as I read his work was that all of his Biblical studies which point up textual inconsistencies, changes, mistranslations and other content issues did not sway his basic faith in God. However, studying the issue of why there is suffering in the world did.

I headed straight to Dr. Ehrman's 2008 book, God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer. Dr. Ehrman's purpose is to show us how different Biblical authors approached and answered this basic question.

So I bring you the Bible's first answer as presented by Dr. Ehrman: the prophets of the Old Testament explain that suffering is a punishment for sin.

What do you think about that statement? True or false? Or true sometimes?

Looking for the Wise

The readings from the Common Lectonary for last Sunday suggest Psalm 14. In both the New Revised Standard Version and in Gary Chamberlain's translation, Verse 2 says that God looks down from heaven on all humankind (descendants of Adam) to see if anyone is wise, if anyone seeks for God. And in Verse 3, the answer seems to be an emphatic "No".

This Psalm is one of the most depressing I've ever read. In the last verse, Israel still needs deliverance and though the refuge of the poor is the Lord, the people are still waiting for their fortunes to be restored. Until that time, the lot of those who take refuge in God is to look on the fools of the world--those who have gone astray and have convinced themselves there is no God--and wait.

The only hope held out is one word in verse 7. When.

Not "If". Not "Maybe". "When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,..."

I'm in a good place right now. I'm blessed with good health, no major problems, doing fairly well financially. What I want to do is throw this psalm at the wall, shred it, burn it, so that it can't remind me of the flip side of life--the side, mind you, I have experienced in the past. The side where the ripples of life turn negative and the waves batter me. When life's wheel turns back into the muck. But I don't want to know that now. I want to enjoy these good times. Save the memories up. Smile at the pleasures. Rejoice at the wonderful experiences.

Instead, Psalm 14 has stayed with me since Sunday. Urging me to remember that when the negative ripples come at me and life begins pelting lemons and rotten tomatoes, I am to take refuge in the Lord.

And to say over and over that one, powerful word, WHEN.

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

Amen.