The tragic events of the past weeks are underscored by either the silence emulating from the household of faith or the sound of the pious prelates and others politicizing the events and demanding more laws. Paul, speaking to the Romans addressed the issue eloquently. "...For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." (Romans 8:3) Once the hate generated rhetoric, the publicity campaigns funded by those with ulterior motives and remains of those who perished are laid to rest the only true change will be the intensification of hate.
Whether it is a child committing suicide, a school shooting or a terrorist bombing, the common denominator in all of these acts is hate. With all of the laws put in place to curb and control hate, our children worldwide have become the victim of a hate culture. There is a type of sadness, a dark cloud that has overshadowed us as the realization set in, we have strayed too far from our core, we have polluted our religion, and defied the Laws of God. Have we passed the point of no return? Are the prophecies are being fulfilled and there are no laws that can help us? Consider the laws put in place to protect us from prostitution, gambling, and drugs. How do we measure the success of these laws, money spent, lives or families destroyed, God forbid, can we not see the error of our ways?
In the course of human events when beset by trouble and situations that we simply do not understand, we often turn to God and ask "WHY". In the passing of our love-ones, in the midst of our trials and tribulations, many of us find consolation in accepting the ideology that God saw the situation and had a better plan. Based upon the indoctrination of God's love this may suffice for some, but it does little to appease the heart of the mother or father whose loved one was killed in a horrific accident or senseless shooting. Even death in its most subtle form can be heartbreaking and will cause those that are suffering to question God.
My contention is asking questions are the foundation of learning therefore through this article I will ask a series of question. (rhetorical or otherwise but they are important.) Why is it more comforting to accept that God saw our loved ones suffering and called them home? Is death God's way of calling his children home or is death just a process ordained by God? Does God give us a certain number, or are there other elements that determine the length of our stay here on earth? Does asking God why allow us to place the blame on God rather than humanity? In Solomon search for answers he surmised life as such: "I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Jesus said, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)
"Where was God?" This is one of the first questions to emerge whenever there is a church shooting, school shooting, terrorist bombing or even a natural disaster. On those days when the sun is shining brightly in our lives, placated by the thought that God loves us and is working in the background to make everything come out all right, even while we are asleep, allows some of us to become at ease. The acceptance of whatever happens in this life is God's will can reaffirm our faith or it can become a destructive force. This force has shattered the faith of many. Those that are basking the sunshine of favors often have a hard time grasping the depth and reality of this question. After a horrific shooting, In an attempt to console the pious proclaim God's will must be done. Hearing those words an emerging voice proclaim, "if this is how your God work then I don't want no part of him."
The questions of "Where was God", or "Why" is never really answered. They are the elephants in the room, overlooked and buried under the guise that we are not to question God. The basic reason being is that much of modern day Christianity ideology is based on a type of confusion that permeates a feel-good relationship thru the shaping of the scriptures. Everything about modern day Christianity is shaped and scripted to make you feel good. The church has become the new entertainment center where we come to get our praise on, collect blessing and be entertained. Our prayers have become a scripted dialog used for the edification of self and those that hear us, as we demand God to act. Too often our prayers go unanswered are forgotten. But, we cannot say that because our indoctrination tells us that God hears and answer all prayers.
Did God promise to do all of the things we claim he promised? Is God directing the affairs of man? We as a worker in the vineyard should take these questions seriously. If you ask any follower of Christ these question the answer will be I know God is a deliverer, because he delivered me or I know God is a healer because he healed me. However, is this assessment a true indication of God power or is this just a feel-good response. More and more people are becoming unimpressed with the unsubstantiated claims of what God is doing for us. Looking to God for deliverance seems to be the modus-operand of the Christian journey, but a search of the New Testament fails to validate this point.
In times of distress, we pray for God to make our enemies our footstool. Did God really promise to make our enemies our footstool? There is no clear reading of the scripture to validate that point. "And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Luke 20:42-43) This statement could reference David or even Jesus Christ but I doubt if it was to all of us here on this earth.
How often have we heard how God protects his children, but is this the truth according to the scriptural? True God delivered Daniel from the mouth of the Lions, but John, the forerunner of Christ, lingered in jail until beheaded at the King's request. God fought numerous battles to save the Children of Israel, but he dispatched no angels to save his son or the apostle's life. In Revelation John recorded Jesus as standing by waiting for more of the saints to be beheaded. It would seem as if after the birth of Christ, persecution, and death became a part of the road to salvation.
"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." (Revelation 6:10-11)
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)
While undergoing Cancer treatment I cried out to God to heal me. Once the surgery and radiation were successful I was encouraged to testify how God had healed me. Regardless of what they told me, in the midst of my pain, in the midst of my suffering God was silent. When I close my eyes and slipped into a drug-induced coma, in my mind's eye I saw the Christ sitting at the head of my bead, but he was silent. My lesson in faith through all of my suffering was to understand the silence of God.
When a young man entered a church and shot many of the worshippers the religious world was stunned. Many would have believed that God would have stepped in and prevented such atrocious act from happening. God command and his command was for the young man not to do the deed, but freewill which was entrusted to humanity allows us to do as we choose. In the Garden of Eden, God commanded Adam, but Adam chose to sin. It is never a question of what God can or cannot do, the focus should be placed on how God works. Through Adam and Eve's ordeal with the Devil, God was silent.
We place a too greater burden on God and our leaders when we expect them to act in our behalves and protect us from ourselves. We are also guilty of trivializing God and his work when we proclaim that everything that happens in the world today is God's will. We belittle ourselves when we blame our leaders. If my heart is corrupt and filled with enough hate that my desire is to commit murder, most likely I will succeed. To say that it was God's will is sacrilegious. Hate is the underlining cause of all of the atrocities taking place. When hate is exposed to the light of day it grows.
The point that I am advancing is that based on a mixing of the Old and New Testament we have a God who is removing obstacles, making our path straight, and pouring out material blessings upon us. What we are refusing to accept is that we are dealing with a God who went silent after he divorced his chosen people. After four hundred years the next time he spoke was in anger when he told Peter, James, and John, "This is my beloved son, hear him." They killed the son and he returned to his father as a supernatural being, who sent his spirit to guide and comfort us.
Where was God? While calling upon God, Stephen was stoned to death. (Acts 7:54-60) There is nothing in the elucidations of Acts that leads one to believe that God did anything to prevent the so-call religious leaders from killing Stephen. Throughout the ordeal of Stephen, God was silent. "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God," (Acts 7:55) Where was God? According to the Book of Revelation God is sitting on his throne preparing to pour out his wrath, restrained only by the intercession of Christ. Revelation 7
