God, Why?

            How can a good God exist if He allows such pain? How can a good God exist if He allows such hunger? How can a good God exist if He allows such hate. How can a good God allow evil to exist? How can a good God allow that evil person to exist? How can a good God allow that child to be sexually abused?

If God is omnipotent, He could stop these evils.

Is God impotent?

If He could not stop them, then He is impotent!

Could He have stopped them but chose not to?

            Why did You allow this? Why don’t You take care of that? Why don’t You do something?

And God speaks to me:

            “Everything needed is in place. It is you who can choose to do something or not. You have My gift of free will. If you choose to do something, that is your choice. If you choose to do nothing, that is your choice. Choose.

            Mother Teresa knew this. She knew what she had to do. She said that we can do no great things, only small things with great love. Why do we not all do what we know is God’s will?

Something? Anything?

            Why should I be expected to carry this load? After all, there is this great huge elephant that is just standing there, looking at me. That elephant just looks at me as though he expects me to do something. Why doesn’t the elephant carry the load? I am not going to carry anything while that elephant is just standing there. I am not going to carry anything while you are just standing there either.

            Is that a tear I see in the elephant’s eye?

            If we do not carry what we can, why do we complain that the elephant is not carrying it? I have discovered that when I carry what I can, more is accomplished than what I alone did. When I turn around and look, a lot more got done than I alone did. If I do what I can and you do what you can, the elephant will also help. It is our job, not the elephant’s job.

            We have been given a freedom that is dangerous. We are allowed to be stupid enough to have a house in a flood plain. We are allowed to be ignorant enough to have a house on a fault line. We are allowed to be evil enough to take a house from someone else. If God removes our freedom to be stupid, ignorant, evil; then we no longer have free will.

            If God exercises His power to correct evils, then He removes our freedom. If God removes free will from anyone, then there is no free will. If God stops Hitler from the evils he did, then there is no free will for you or me. If God does not give me the free will to do evil, then there is no such thing as good or evil. Without free will there is no purpose. There is nothing to be gained or lost from doing what you choose. If He removes our free will, then God is a tyrant. If we are not able to make mistakes, to do wrong things, then there is no such thing as a good thing. If God prevents bad things from happening, then what is a good thing? If God prevents me from building my house on a flood plain or an earthquake fault, then I no longer have free will. If I cannot do evil things, stupid things, things from my ignorance; then there is no purpose. Then there is no such thing as heaven because we then are only puppets or slaves. There is no way we can learn from our mistakes. There is no way we can become better than we are. Then we are just knee jerk reactions to whatever stimulus presents itself to us.

            But, with free will, we have the opportunity to move closer to God. We have the opportunity to serve God’s creation. We have the opportunity to do good. There is such a thing as good. We are given a great gift. We now can do God’s work.

            When something bad happens to someone, we have the opportunity to move closer to God by helping them. Remember. It is our job. We are the agents of God. We are the hands of God. God corrects the evils of the world, but through you. And, sometimes through me.

And God speaks to me:

            “You alone may not be able to do all that is needed. If all act together, the problems of the world will be solved. Choose.

            If my task is to help someone in need, God will also help. But, I must do my part. You must do your part. Then and only then, can we look to God for help. We should not sit and wait for God to do it, we need to do it ourselves. We are the hands of God. We are the tools that God uses to do His work. If the tools are broken, how can God’s work be accomplished? If the tools are deaf to God’s word then we are useless. Then we are not only blind but also deaf.

And God speaks to me:

            “You can choose to do good. You can choose to do evil. You can choose to do nothing. It is your choice.

            We are blind and cannot see the elephant. Are we also deaf to the elephant? What is the elephant trying to say to you? Listen for God’s message to you. Listen and heed. God’s tools, God’s hands, God’s workers. That is you. That is me.

            Why does God not do what is needed? I don’t like that question. You are the hands of God. I am the hands of God. The question should be: Why do God’s hands ignore the things that need to be done? Why don’t God’s hands do what God wants? Why don’t you do what God wants? Why don’t I do what God wants?

            If you do not believe you are put here to help those who need it, then your faith is nonexistent. You do not believe. Your lack of faith does not even qualify you as a heretic. A heretic has faith, just misdirected. You are only a heathen nonbelieiver. Because your faith does not require you to serve your fellow mankind, you do not qualify as a Christian. As long as there is one hungry child, one homeless man, one sick woman, one abused child, one unemployed - - - - - one.

                What I profess to believe, what I write may qualify me as a heretic in your sight. Does what you believe qualify you as a heretic in my sight?

And God speaks to me:

            “You are here to care for each other. And, you possess free will. Use your free will properly, with responsibility. Fill your choices with compassion and love. Show by your example. Choose.

            When God fails to help, it is my fault. When God fails to help, it is your fault. I am the hands of God. You are the hands of God. How can you blame God when you are just sitting there watching some stupid television show instead of helping?

            Mother Teresa said, “You can do no great things, just many small things with great love.”

            There are those who claim that Mother Teresa was not Christian. She was Catholic and they follow Christ no better or worse than any other denomination. But, what if she was Hindu? She was in India after all. If she was not Christian, would that make her work worth less? Or more? What were the teachings of Christ about helping these the least of the low? What person would dedicate their life to helping those who were called untouchable? What type of person would serve the poor and sick without expecting anything in return? Mother Teresa did everything that Christ asked. She lived with the poorest of the poor. She served the sickest of the sick. If you don’t believe it, go to India. Look at the place she worked. Look at how she lived. Then tell me that you are following Christ’s teachings better than she did.

And God speaks to me:

            “By their fruits you shall know them.

            I have been in India. I have seen a man begging on the street because he had leprosy. I saw that he had no fingers or toes because they had rotted away with his disease. I saw that one foot was gone. I saw that he was blind. I saw that people would pass by at a distance and just toss small coins to him. I watched him try to find the coins that had just been tossed in his general direction. I picked up the coins and placed them in what was left of his hands. I added money of my own to help him. Am I bragging? No! When I was done with my small contribution, I walked on. He is not my problem.

            But, he is my problem. Yes, he is your problem. He is to be cared for. He is to be loved. Yet, I just walked on my way. He is a child of God. He is loved by God. He is the face of God, and I just walked on my way. What would you do? What would you have done?

            Don’t think I was brave to touch him. Although leprosy had devastated his body, the leprosy was gone. It was no “brave” act on my part. Actually I was a coward. That man if he is still alive is still there. I did nothing. I did not serve. I ignored my responsibility. I found Jesus in need and walked away.

Too bad, Jesus, I am not about to help you. Not today.

God, why don’t you help this poor man?

And God answers me:

            “I did. I sent you.

            How much time did I spend to help him? Only a couple of minutes.

            How much money did I give him? Only a few coins, much less than a dollar.

            Did I try to buy salvation with a couple of minutes and a couple of small coins?

•          Where did God send you?

•          Where did God send you to serve?

•          Where did God send you to serve, and you failed?

•          Where did you fail to serve today?

•          Where will you fail to serve tomorrow?

When a good man suffers,

all who would be called good suffer with him.