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Understanding Suffering

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

From Newsweek:

I just got to a point where I couldn’t explain how something like this could happen, if there’s a powerful and loving God in charge of the world. It’s a very old problem, and there are a lot of answers, but I don’t think any of them work.

The suffering in Haiti has reminded us of an age-old question:  If God is loving and all-powerful, why does He allow tragedy and suffering?  Like the article points out, there are myriad ways we answer this question.  I, like Job, don’t have a complete answer, but I do have some questions about how we view God.

In the article quoted above we find a typical description of God–loving and powerful.  That’s all.  But, is that all God is?  Is He only a heavenly Santa supposed to use His power to prevent any form of suffering and pain?  And, if so, then shouldn’t we all be living in some form of Eden, right now?

Perhaps, while God is love, He is also much more.  Perhaps He is also just, righteous, holy, pure, jealous and wrathful.  Perhaps He is also all-knowing, able to see each event as it connects to all other events.  Perhaps, in His perfect knowledge and wisdom, He is able to see good, righteous reasons to allow calamity to occur.  Thus, while He might hate suffering and calamity, He might be inclined to allow it because of the bigger, eternal picture.

Let me give you an example.  Earlier I wrote:

The second is a young girl, dying from cancer.  This little girl didn’t just want prayer she also wanted answers.  I tried my best to answer her questions, and we prayed for her and her family.  Now, this little girl was not healed.  However, something even more amazing happened.  Before cancer claimed her, Christ claimed her.  This little girl accepted Christ, and even asked to be buried with one of the letters I wrote—so she could show it to God!  The peace with which she died, and this request led her parents—non-Christians—to ask their own questions.  Even though they lived two states away (they were in our area for her treatment) we prayed for them and put them in touch with a good church.

A few months later I received a letter from that little girl’s mom.  In it was a picture, which still sits on my desk, and a note.  That note shared how she and her husband came to know Christ, and how they could see God’s mercy.  She understood that her little girl died so that the girl, the mom and the dad could find eternal life.  She believed that it was a part of God’s plan, and though painful, worth it.

While God never promises to tell us what good end He achieved through allowing suffering, we can know He does not allow anything without a good, perfect and pleasing purpose.  The story of that dear little girl is evidence that God does not bring calamity where God does not send grace.

Perhaps God is not 2D after all.

Making a name for myself

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In addition to pastoring, I occasionally teach folks how to fly.  Currently I have one student I fly with, a middle aged gentleman who always dreamed of becoming a pilot.  So, we are slowly working toward the goal of earning his wings.

The other day, a beautiful, sunny, frigid day, we were honing that most challenging of skills, landing.  Once the basics have been grasped, learning to land involves many touch-and-goes.  Once the wheels touch down, you transition back into the air for another trip around the pattern.  This day being a Saturday, the air was filled with student fliers hurling here and there as their intrepid instructors attempted to teach them while not running into each other.

Into this mix you can add the lack of any form of control tower.  Our airfield is a non-towered airport, so everything is ‘announce on the radio and watch out!”  In this context our story begins.

Having completed a few successful circuits of the airfield, avoiding the numerous other bug-smashers, our student pushed the throttle forward for one more trip around the pattern before taking her back to the barn.  As he busily rose the nose and scanned for traffic, I listened intently to the various radio traffic, “08B is downwind for runway 18,” “68J is base for runway 18,” “05R is final for runway 18.”  Clearly the pattern was filling up.  As we turned to crosswind, I keyed the mike an announced, “63H in final for runway 18.”  Now, for the uninformed, I’ve just announced that we are lined up with the runway, and our landing is imminent.  In reality we’d just taken off.  Apparently my brain hadn’t caught up yet.  What should I hear next? “Brandon, where did you say you were?”  Not yet realizing the mistake I’d made, I replied, “63H is just turning downwind.”  “Oh, I was confused since I’m on final and didn’t see you,” came the response.  Following which one could hear, “I was confused, too,” and, “I’m just down here watching the parade and I was confused,” and, “Are you sure?”  Each from a different voice.

Shaking off the embarrassment, I did my level best to announce where we actually were for the remainder of the lesson.  Hopefully my student learned about the need to be clear and precise on the radio.  And as for myself, just call me Confused.

Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?

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Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem follows the promises made through the Prophets. In Micah 5:2 the Lord promised, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” That promised ruler, a baby with ancient origins, is Jesus.
Another important aspect of Bethlehem is Jesus’ lineage. According to Matthew, Jesus’ earthly father is a descendant of King David. The Lord promised David, “your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.” Because Bethlehem is David’s home, and because Christ is the promised King, who will rule forever, it is fitting He should be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
In order for this prophecy to be fulfilled, Joseph and Mary needed to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The census ordered by Caesar required Joseph to travel to his ancestral home of Bethlehem. Through this census, the prophecy of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem was fulfilled.
Jesus’ birthplace connects Him with David, the greatest of Israel’s kings and fulfills the promise that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. Far from an accident or coincidence, God shows His hand in the birthplace of the Christ.

Modern-Day Lepers | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

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Modern-Day Lepers | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.

“I have heard it said that sex offenders are modern-day lepers,” he said. “That is probably pretty accurate. And we know that Jesus didn’t shun lepers. He loved them and healed them. He expects us to do the same.”

Seriously?  Sex offenders = lepers?  I don’t think so.  Read the whole thing.

Flying With the Boys

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Took my two sons, 8 & 6, for their first small airplane ride today. As providence would have it, I happen to be a Certified Flight Instructor, so their first flight could also be a first lesson.
We arrived at the aerodrome a bit early, hard to keep any of us away from airplanes. After pre-flighting the Warrior (and emptying tiny bladders), we mounted up. 6 took the pilot’s seat, with me next to him. 8 agreed to ride the bench for the first half.
God blessed us with a nice day. Light winds, straight down the runway, greater than 10 miles of visibility and no clouds below 12000 ft. So, we pointed our nose to the wind and put the coals to it.
As we neared rotation speed, I told 6 to ease back on the yoke. With a little assist he raised the nose and away we went. Before to long we were above the pattern, and he banked us left toward the Big Lake.
As we motored northward, 6 was mesmerized by the vast array of gauges before him, occasionally peering out the window. We’ll have to work on that. A few minutes of straight-and-level had us at the beach, where I talked him through a few level turns–while pointing out some of the sights he might recognize.
Back over dry land, his time was up. He happily moved to the rear while 8 took his place behind the wheel. Then it was off to Nana’s house.
After a few minutes of trying to recall exactly which road Nana lives on, I pointed 8 in the general direction and he pointed teh Warrior. Soon enough we were abeam the house and I helped 8 through a steep turn, so that he and 6 could peer down from 2500 ft upon the 7 acres of heaven they love to run around through.
Before you know it, it was time to head back to teh barn. So, I pointed to where we were going and 8 took us there.
Now, once we were in the pattern, I knew I needed to be the one flying. 8 can see over the instrument panel, but just barely. And those feet? They can’t really move the rudder a whole lot. So, with him assisting me, I showed them both what’s involved in returning this wee Warrior to the ground from which we came.
Or, at least I thought I showed them both. After 3 touch-and-goes we taxied back to the ramp, only to find 6 sound asleep in the rear. I guess if you aren’t doing the flying its no different than driving.
So, all in all both boys had a blast and did a great job! Now Dad has to get ’em both logbooks to commemorate their first flight. Lord willing there will be many more in their future.

On Poverty

~ brandon ~ 1 Comment

On the Census Bureau’s website, I came across a spreadsheet showing the number of families below the poverty line from 1959 to 2008. As I quickly looked through the sheet (since I’m supposed to be doing other things), I noticed that the rate of families below the poverty line has hovered around 10 percent, plus or minus, since the late 1960s. Now, throughout my life I’ve heard about the war on poverty, and how we must increase welfare to try and raise people out of poverty. So, the fact the overall rate of families living below the poverty line got me thinking: are we wasting our money? If we continue to spend more, with little or no significant impact, is there a better way? I think there is.
Being a Pastor, I tend to look at Scripture for answers to life questions. I do so for two reasons. First, I do so because I believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God. Thus, its principles are timeless and still useful for guiding decisions. Second because Western Civilization is largely based upon the Bible. For over 1500 years the history of the West has been the history of Christianity—good and bad, alike. Our founding fathers, while all may not have been Christians, were profoundly impacted by lessons found in Scripture. So, if it served so well as a foundational document for so long, I figure, “Why reinvent the wheel?” That said, let me share a principle that I believe is at the core of our welfare failure. You can find it in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”
Paul recognized some in Thessalonica were taking advantage of the charity of others. Capable of working, these folks choose not to work—instead eating the food provided through the work of others. This was unacceptable. While feeding those unable to work is at the core of loving thy neighbor, feeding those who will not work runs counter to the entirety of Scripture.
Perhaps, then, we might consider a welfare system that only feeds those who are truly unable to eat. Those who are able, it is assumed, choose not to for one reason or another. They, therefore, receive nothing. Not only might this provide some motivation toward work, but it also might help instill a work ethic seriously lacking in our society.