Charlottesville, Virginia,
and Barcelona, Spain……these are the names recently added to a list of troubles
in the world. Some people wonder why God
“allows” such troubles to continue…why God does not stop. Those who are more inclined to theodicy may
wonder if God really exists, if He “allows” tragedies after tragedies to happen
and does not “intervene”.
Spiritually speaking, to
Christians, responding to troubles in the world with the above attitude is a
sign of real trouble, because it can lead to a loss of faith or apostasy.
Perhaps, we can
juxtapose the reality of the continuing troubles in the world to the storm in
Matthew 14:22-33, for example. Someone
may ask, why God does not stop a tragedy in the world or intervene. Likewise, we
could ask, why Jesus did not stop the storm immediately or did even “allow” it
to happen, in regard to the Gospel narrative. Had Jesus stopped the storm soon
or did not “allow” it, Peter and the rest of the disciples of Jesus would not
have been scared. However, the Gospel narrative tells that the storm was raging
and the disciples were terrified. While
this was going on, what was Jesus doing? He was walking on the stormy water, to
which the disciples were frightened, as they thought it was a ghost.
Good grief!?
Realizing that the
disciples were rather aghast, Jesus assured them that it was he and told not to
be afraid. To this, as Thomas had to put
his finger to risen Jesus’ wound mark (John 20:24-27), Peter had to make sure
the man walking on the water like a ghost and identifying himself as the Lord was
really him. So, he said, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you
on the water!”(Matthew 14:28). Then, Jesus said to him to come, and Peter
began walking on the stormy water! However, as soon as he was distracted by the
stormy winds, fear filled him up immediately. And he began to sink in the
water, while his heart was already sinking in fear. At least, Peter was able to
cry to the Lord. Though Jesus had to rebuke Peter for his little faith, he
saved him.
What lesson can we draw
by dialectically putting the troubling reality of the world and the above
Gospel narrative, paralleling senseless tragedies of violence and terror that
God does not stop and the storm that Jesus did not stop immediately?
One thing I can say is
that we really do not know why God does not stop all these violence, terror,
tragedies, and suffering in the world so that nobody would have died, as we
cannot tell why Jesus did not stop the storm immediately so that the disciples
would not be in fear. If we tried to pursue this “why God” kind of question, we
set ourselves to slip into the quagmire of theodicy, with a great possibility
to end with apostasy. If, I had to come
up with a possible explanation to this kind of “why God” question, I may make
reference to John 9:3 and 11:4 to remind that the works and the glory of God
may be revealed through troubles in the world.
This is not to underestimate or belittle evil that is associated with
violence, terror, and all other words of troubles in the world. Rather, it is not to lose our sight in God –
not to be distracted by fears generated by the troubles in the world. As Peter began to sink in the water as soon
as his attention to Jesus on the water by the storm, we may begin to sink in
the spiritual entanglement of theodicy.
God forbid, had this happened, what good would come out? It would be a
victory of evil.
As Ecclesia
militans, dolens, poenitens, and expectans, we must fight our spiritual
battle against evil vigorously so that we shall be Ecclesia triumphans. For our
victory in this battle, we shall never lose our sight in God, no matter how
troubling the world may become. Whether
protesting or praying or doing both, we must fix our eyes in the Lord, as we
find God not only in all things but also at all time, so that the saving works
and the glory of God may manifest amidst and through the troubles in the world.
Thus, our suffering in the world may become redemptive. This is also to make
sure that those who lost their lives in these violent terrors did not die as
mere evil’s preys.
Through our battle, may
God’s justice be brought and mercy heal us, while his grace prevailing.
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