Last week’s
horrific events in Nice as a lorry driver deliberately ploughed his vehicle
into the crowd in a pointless and cowardly act of terrorism was truly
shocking. As on so many occasions we are
left asking the question ‘why’? An
inquiry we make not only of the man who drove the truck but maybe also of
God? Why did God let this terrible thing
happen? Why didn’t God step in and stop
it?
We reflected a little on this at the Bucks Baptist Ministers’ Breakfast at Great Missenden yesterday. As we tucked into our bacon rolls we talked together of those pastoral situations we all have when our members come to us and say they are losing faith because of a personal disappointment or a national tragedy – so after years of trying to pray or struggling with belief they are calling it a day.
Personally I came to an understanding in my own faith journey about a decade ago when I stopped believing in an ‘Interventionist God’ – and I suppose that phrase takes some unpacking.
I cannot quite square the idea that God will intervene and give me a parking space yet he stood idly by and let millions of Jews be slaughtered in the Holocaust. And once I honestly named that dilemma in my theology I had to reassess what I thought of prayer.
For me God is not ‘All powerful’ – because he is a God of love. That means he simply could not ‘force’ that lorry driver to stop doing evil – just as he could not stop Hitler building the gas chambers. As a loving parent I cannot force my children to do anything – I can teach them, guide them, support them and when they make mistakes or have to endure hardship I can be there for them. Love makes me a vulnerable parent – but it also means I will do everything I possibly can to always be there for my children.
I believe God loves us like that – because God is LOVE. And love is, I believe, the strongest force in the universe.
After the bigger gathering yesterday I stayed on for a coffee with a minister friend of mine. She has gone through so much personal tragedy in her life yet she serves in a local church which such grace, hope and faithfulness. We reflected on the morning’s theme and she looked at me and said: ‘stuff happens’.
In a way no answers came yesterday – but in sharing a cappuccino with a friend – whose life and words seemed so real and authentic I was reminded once more that even in the midst of pain - God is Love.
I believe it’s possible to go on believing, to
go on worshipping and to go on serving if our trust is in such a God.We reflected a little on this at the Bucks Baptist Ministers’ Breakfast at Great Missenden yesterday. As we tucked into our bacon rolls we talked together of those pastoral situations we all have when our members come to us and say they are losing faith because of a personal disappointment or a national tragedy – so after years of trying to pray or struggling with belief they are calling it a day.
Personally I came to an understanding in my own faith journey about a decade ago when I stopped believing in an ‘Interventionist God’ – and I suppose that phrase takes some unpacking.
I cannot quite square the idea that God will intervene and give me a parking space yet he stood idly by and let millions of Jews be slaughtered in the Holocaust. And once I honestly named that dilemma in my theology I had to reassess what I thought of prayer.
For me God is not ‘All powerful’ – because he is a God of love. That means he simply could not ‘force’ that lorry driver to stop doing evil – just as he could not stop Hitler building the gas chambers. As a loving parent I cannot force my children to do anything – I can teach them, guide them, support them and when they make mistakes or have to endure hardship I can be there for them. Love makes me a vulnerable parent – but it also means I will do everything I possibly can to always be there for my children.
I believe God loves us like that – because God is LOVE. And love is, I believe, the strongest force in the universe.
After the bigger gathering yesterday I stayed on for a coffee with a minister friend of mine. She has gone through so much personal tragedy in her life yet she serves in a local church which such grace, hope and faithfulness. We reflected on the morning’s theme and she looked at me and said: ‘stuff happens’.
In a way no answers came yesterday – but in sharing a cappuccino with a friend – whose life and words seemed so real and authentic I was reminded once more that even in the midst of pain - God is Love.
Ian
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