Friday, March 11, 2011

March 11th, "The Problem of Good"

As a pastor you get used to the question. "How could a good God allow so much evil?" But I have never been asked, "How could a good God allow so much good?" or "Why does an evil God allow so much good?"

Sometimes the speaker is wrestling with a real evil in their life which has shaken their faith. Sometimes the speaker is using the problem of evil as a proof against the existence of a Divine Being.

Isn't it interesting that we see the existence of evil as a conundrum. Why does it exist? Why is there so much suffering, hurt, and deliberate malice in our world?

But I have yet to have anyone come up to me disturbed about the presence of so much goodness in the world!

But if we probe at that assumption, it means that we think that goodness should be the status quo. We assume goodness should be the normal state of affairs.

Where in the world did we get that idea? Why should goodness be the status quo any more than badness?

Why when I see evil do I wonder if God is good, or if there is a God? Why when I see good don't I wonder the reverse. Why don't I wonder whether God is evil, or whether there is a God?

This Lent I plan to focus my attention each day on some aspect of goodness in my life. Thanks be to God.

2 comments:

  1. Just like you said (in not so many words), I, too, think that focusing our attention on some aspect of goodness has to be an intentional thing. That's because as humans, we're so immature in our outlook of things. Our society on the whole just seems to be under this belief that normalcy is: everything comes to us easily, that we should never find ourselves in a hard place or that life should never be a hard thing for us. ,,etc. There is a song by Third Day called, "Love Heals Your Heart". It touches on this assumption that we are "immune to badness". It's a really great song!

    LOVE HEALS YOUR HEART
    Did you think you were immune to this?
    Did you think you could escape without infection?
    You do all you're able to resist
    Just to avoid the danger of rejection

    Memory warns you of the past
    When it all went wrong

    When you think your life is shattered
    And there's no way to be fixed again
    Love heals your heart

    At a time you least expected
    You're alive like you have never been
    Love heals your heart

    Everybody has a wall to climb
    That was built to guard the pain that holds them captive
    And every smile that they would hide behind
    Will try to mask the hurt beneath the surface

    Sometimes it's hard to understand
    How we're trapped inside

    When you think your life is shattered
    And there's no way to be fixed again
    Love heals your heart

    At a time you least expected
    You're alive like you have never been
    Love heals your heart, love heals your heart

    When you think your life is shattered
    And there's no way to be fixed again
    Love heals your heart

    At a time you least expected
    You're alive like you have never been
    Love heals your heart

    Love, it heals your heart
    (Love heals your heart)
    Love, it heals your heart now
    (Love heals your heart)

    (Love heals your heart)
    Love, it heals your heart
    (Love heals your heart)
    Love heals your heart

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  2. Thanks, Paul. This is an excellent blog. Much appreciated!

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