December 18, 2012 A note in response to a friend who struggles with a pastors proclamation that events such as the

massacre at Sandy Brook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, are the result of our nations turning its back on God.
Hey Friend, Big, big hugs to you, dear friend for both your amazing faith and the struggles you admit to!!! Your pastor certainly isnt alone in the way he thinks about God and these kinds of events youve probably seen or heard lots of folks (not just ministers) talking about the cause of bad things, and sometimes attributing them to God punishing creation for not being faithful. I cringe, though, every time I hear someone attributing to God this kind of suffering. The way that I know and understand God, the God that I love and adore, isnt a God who punishes like that. I dont think God is capable of that kind of evil whether doing it through a crazed gunman (acting somehow as an agent of God) or by letting it happen. I believe that bad things happen not because someone sinned and needs to be punished (or a whole nation or world) but because, well, the world is a broken and imperfect place. Were not in Eden any more. Its not because of gay marriage, abortions, or the US being a godless nation that a crazed gunman killed a bunch of first graders. No, it was a crazed gunman who did that. Not acting on Gods behalf, and not doing the will of God. Rather, such a thing is TOTALLY against Gods will. But things happen against Gods will all the time from these kind of major events to a simple lie told to avoid the awkwardness of telling the truth. Both of those things, and lots of other things in between, are not the will of God. They are acts of sin. And we humans are pretty good at sinning. God doesnt like our sin, but GOD DOES NOT CAUSE our sin. Its our choosing. God wants anything BUT our sin. But what we also know about God is that we are not abandoned ever. Especially in this time of year, when we read over and over again the Scripture that says, And he shall be called Emmanuel, which means God is with us. Thats a good theology for days like these. Thats a word of Scripture and what I believe to be a fundamental truth about God that GOD IS WITH US. Another place in Scripture affirms that its not when were perfect, but while we were yet sinners God understands that were broken, that were sinful, that we will do bad things (and sometimes even horrific things). It is for those things that Christ died. Once and for all. A life and a death and a resurrection that proved once and for all that while there is darkness in the world, there is also light and the darkness can never overcome the light. I believe that when Christ died on the cross, God was weeping. I believe that when a first grader was shot, God was weeping. Thats the kind of God we know God who loves each of us more than we can ever dare ask or even imagine. Gods not sitting in heaven saying, take that! for each bullet shot no, God was weeping at each shot, broken hearted that his people act in hate rather than demonstrating love. I do picture God welcoming each first grader that was killed, each teacher that died, each one of us humans that comes to the end of our lives welcoming us into a wide open, squeeze-the-heck-out-of-us embrace that is nothing but love. With a tear in Gods eye knowing that with each death comes sorrow and grief. So I cant go anywhere near a theology that says God wills, wants, causes, or even tolerates these kinds of horrible things. Its not a far leap from that to a church holding placards that say God hates fags and other nonsense. My God DOESNT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HATE. The God I know and love is (as Scripture says) a God of love. This is all pretty basic Christian theology. But its important to me that we bear witness to God. I fear that folks outside the church will hear these odd understandings about God and say, WHAT?!? If thats

the God they worship, I dont want to have anything to do with that For me, God is love (1 John 4). Thats the God that I want to bear witness to Sorry for preaching, friend. Its just a chance for me to write a bit in response to so much odd theology that Ive heard these past several days. Hugs to you, friend. Many, many hugs --Jeff P-D