11-10-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
November 10, 2023
One of the more challenging experiences in ministry is when someone who is grieving the death of a loved one or dealing with the diagnosis of a loved one asks the question, “Why didn’t God protect this very special person?" I do not have a specific answer, but more of a general one. I’m not going to suggest it is THE answer, but it is an answer rooted in the belief that the God of love would never be the source of someone’s pain or suffering. I just can’t fathom the God revealed to me in Jesus inflicting painful diseases on the very creation declared to be good, and then in John’s Gospel we are reminded that this same creation is the one God so loves. So what do we do with passages like the one from II Thessalonians 3:3 that tell us how “the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm?" I see a lot of faithful, good, and deserving people experience immense challenges and unimaginable affliction. So what does “protection” mean in the mind of God? Let me answer that by saying that I have no special insight into the mind of God, except for Jesus, who is described as the visible sign of the invisible God. So I sort of believe the life and teachings of Jesus point us in the right direction when it comes to understanding the mind of God. The word translated as “protect” is the Greek word ὑμᾶς (hymas), which means something more like keeping watch. That particular word is only found just one other place, John 12:25: “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Maybe it means less protection, like the Secret Service keeping the President safe, and more, like staying inescapably close no matter what occurs. There are days when we want a God who acts like Wonder Woman’s Bracelets, deflecting every source of injury that might come our way. But in this life, things happen, and sometimes they are not good. In those moments, I believe faith tells us that God is not going anywhere, and even when things get really bad, God finds ways of telling us that we are not alone.

When life is good, Amazing God, let me continue to strengthen my relationship with you so that when things become tough, I will be able to more clearly recognize you as the One whose presence is everlasting and whose love knows no boundaries. Amen.