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Text: Habakkuk (selected) ● The willingness of Habakkuk to write so candidly means that he is not willing to just accept things the way they are; he is disturbed about what he sees and experiences and is looking for meaning: why? ● He is not only disturbed about what he sees but needs to attempt to determine how God figures in to all of this. Does he see? Is he aware? Did he cause this? Can he prevent it? Is there anything we can do in response to help create a different reality for ourselves? ● Sometimes I think we’re too surprised by evil. Why? Because our theology (story: way we explain God and life) often doesn’t allow for it, therefore, we have no means of coping with it. ● But, what we experience, along with all of creation, is the gnawing sense that things are ‘not as they ought to be’ (evil). That’s why our anger is aroused at injustice and we become so frustrated with the prevalence of evil; it’s why we are so totally perplexed with such things as senseless tragedy and death… we were not made for it. ● Within that context, I find that God faces this constant ‘dilemma’ … If he does intervene, then he’s controlling and manipulative. It’s just as we expected; all this talk of freedom is just a smokescreen for God’s need to control everything. If he doesn’t intervene, we assume he’s weak and indifferent. It’s just as we suspected; things really are spiraling out of control and God is helpless to stop it! ● We have to find ways to talk about life and God (theology). I guess I would like us to consider what are we saying about God when, in unexplainable crisis, we use phrases like “God has a perfect plan”, or, “the center of God’s will”? I think I understand, first of all, that those answers generate from a sincere desire to lend comfort to those who are experiencing the pain of the crisis; I also think they proceed from our need to defend/explain God [sometimes we think God’s not doing himself any favors with such behavior]. Maybe we use them because we’re not comfortable with other’s pain (showing compassion would mean that I would need to engage them in their pain) and we don’t like not having the answers. We’re not sure what to do with the inner-turmoil; “questioning” seems to be an affront to God’s character and passively accepting the circumstances seems somewhat irresponsible. I have found a couple of phrases to be theologically inviting: “I struggle with that too” and “I don’t know”. Preface: in raising questions about some of these approaches, it would be arrogant to assume that my reflections have trumped the others, and are to be considered ‘conclusive’. So, I proceed fully aware of my limitations and gaps in my own theology. ● The (2) most obvious challenges: “What is God’s perfect plan for me?” (and how will I know), and, “What if I missed it?” ● I have found that the pressures associated with the “perfect plan” concept are enormous! ~ It generally sucks the enjoyment out of life, ~ it leaves us habitually uncertain about our choices and, ~ causes us to wonder what life will be like once we’re destined to settle for God’s “second best” [living with the knowledge that if there is always only (1) right choice in everything, to make the wrong one sets off a cataclysmic chain of events]. ● Equally as important are the issues it raises for us about God: Does God orchestrate evil so that he might provide the solution? Did God coordinate the death of the child to save the parents? Did God bomb the building to get our attention? [the afternoon of the Oklahoma City bombing an area pastor said, “God had a reason for doing this”.] Does God give people cancer so that they might learn patience during the process? Did God really want Saul to be King or was he just the pawn who was determined to fail and make way for David, the real King? ● For those who have embraced the “perfect plan” theology, you can take some comfort in this: no one you’ve ever me has ever experienced it either! ►I’ve discovered that sometimes our theology sounds more like ‘fate’ than Christianity. “Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours to see…” [Doris Day] Far from being an expression of the ‘carefree’ life, it’s an approach that’s profoundly theological. ● The Greeks believed “fate” to be this form of ‘ultimate reality’ to which even the gods were subject. Everything that happened had been determined in advance by this reality and humanity could do nothing to alter it. Living with the notion of this fixed, irresistible determination would inevitably produce feelings of futility and despair. If God functions this way, then we’re all just unwitting participants in some cosmic experiment and we cannot be held responsible. ►Maybe we don’t think seriously enough about human freedom. It means that we must be willing to admit that there are evidences in the story that indicate that humanity has made decisions which have taken creation in a different direction than he had planned; that human beings have the capacity to bring unspeakable horror and pain upon each other. What this means is that we are actually capable of distorting or frustrating God’s plans (it’s why we can ‘grieve’ the Holy Spirit [Ephesians 4:30]-- to make sorrowful; to affect with sadness, offend; to make one uneasy). Or, we can “quench” (suppress) the Spirit [1 Thess.5:19]. Even that language is indicative of the way in which God chooses to interact with us. ►Human freedom is one expression/dimension of divine sovereignty! This notion does not diminish God at all or make him subject to “us”. In fact, it means that he is not limited in the ways he can accomplish his purposes. ● Actually, if you think about it, this is what makes God even more amazing than we thought he was: everything doesn’t ‘have to’ work out according to some cosmic blueprint or prescription. The fascinating thing about God is his capacity to redeem even the really awful things that happen and orchestrate it in such a way as to be ‘good’. And, maybe, many times the event or the decision cannot be characterized as “good” until we realize the effect it has upon us [i.e. promotion @ work: provide for family, but distance you from God and community] ►Most often, God will not violate the governing principles he has established. He chooses to work “in”, “with” and “through” creation to restore creation. If this is the way life works, then God must deal with us in such a way as to “inspire” or “compel” us without coercing us or ‘trumping us with his will’. This seems most consistent with the revelation of God’s nature and character. ● Understand, I think this understanding demands much more of God because he has to commit himself to the process of working alongside flawed and often unresponsive humanity in order to re-establish order. ● As a result, I am becoming convinced that it is this means of understanding how life works which provides the opportunity for God to genuinely respond to us (out of compassion and mercy) rather than just because it’s part of the prescription. ►Then what is God’s will for us? What is his plan? I think the best answer includes healing, restorative relationship with him (God has always desired to live with humanity), learning to “glorify” God by learning to love what he loves (attach weight and meaning to those things he attaches weight and meaning to), learning life from God and ordering our lives accordingly, properly stewarding all of his good gifts in a way that best reflects his desires and assuming our roles as advocates… agents of God’s restoring work, overcoming “evil” with “good”. ● It might also affirm that while we may not experience a “perfect plan”, God may be able to help us make the better or best choice for us (often based upon your life-shaping influences and your God-given life-gifts) or even redeem/restore even the bad choices we make along the journey. ● I will not abandon the idea that God works in the world in ways that can only be described as ‘miraculous’, but I refuse to presume upon God the manner in which he must do it. I find that such a posture is neither ‘fatalistic’ nor ‘utopian’; it doesn’t leave helpless victims of determination, but actually calls upon us to live as an ‘alternative’ community; providing a ‘foretaste’ or ‘glimpse’ of the world as it will be. And, I will take a great deal of comfort from reading the stories of those who remained faithful although “none of them received all that God had promised… God had something better in mind… that we would all reach it together!” (Hebrews 11:40) ● I have determined to discover God’s will framed within the context of God’s “grace”: first, his movement toward us, followed by our anticipated response to him. Glory and Worship Recognizing God for who he is and responding appropriately; that we were created for him and he is what’s best for us. Justice and Righteousness Having been restored in our relationship with God our lives are to reflect a ‘divine-order’ which recognizes disorder and works to overcome it with good. Atonement and Peace Celebrating all the many ways that God has moved toward us to accomplish his restorative work and ourselves becoming ‘peacemakers’. Mission and Advocacy Recognizing that our sense of ‘chosenness’ is directly related to our sense of mission: ‘salt’ and ‘light’; and that we are to be ones that intervene to restore peace; a voice for God and the weakest segment of our culture, both having seemingly lost their voice in our society. Stewardship and Generosity
We are entrusted
with the care and advancement of all that God has created and are called upon to
use it in a manner which best reflects his glory (values): generous and caring
service. |
