Why God?
A cry of distress. A mournful lament. An angry, lashing roar. A burning whisper.
The question, “Why God?” expresses itself in many different ways and in our increasingly active world it is asked for a variety of reasons. From stubbing your toe on the coffee table to the increase of troubles in Afghanistan. From the death of a loved one to your favorite ride at Disney World being closed for sudden maintenance. Some troubles appear more worthy of questioning God than others. However these troubles may appear, they have one thing in common. They break apart the way we believe the world ought to be.
“I believe in God the Father, Maker of heaven and earth.”
Who else to bring our broken world to but the one who made it? Our heavenly Father. However, in moments like these He doesn’t always appear so heavenly and feels more distant than a father should be. The pithy phrase “God works in mysterious ways” doesn’t seem comforting when your world has been shaken. As a matter of fact, in these situations God working mysteriously is perhaps the most frustrating thing. To not know God’s intentions makes life scary and uncertain rather than comforting.
Our Heavenly Father knows our fear and uncertainty, He knows when our world that we have made breaks apart. He knows because he laid the world’s foundation, He measured his line upon the earth, He shut in the seas and prescribed their limits. (Job 38:4-10) He is the one who sent Jesus at “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4) to bring an end to sin and death. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t forget about us but sends relief at the right time and points us to His dear Son.
Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, came and made His intentions clear. His earthly mission culminated with His death on a cross on Good Friday by which He saved us from our sins and in His rising from the dead. By this He restores the world and holds it together. At the right time the world will be more than just held together, but fully redeemed. No longer distressed but rejoicing.
In this we turn the question from “Why?” to “Who?”. No longer “Why am I suffering?” but “Who can save me from this suffering?” and it is our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Blessings,
Vicar Lewis