On my run this morning I was thinking about the whole issue of suffering and death. What am I to think of the child who dies in a car accident, a man or woman of God who models the Christian walk who dies in a plane crash or some other "freak accident"? Do we blame Satan? Do we blame God? Do we just say, "It must have been God's will" Is it possible that God nor Satan is directly involved? ( responsible for the accident or tragedy itself)
Imagine how differently we would see things if sin only recently entered the human race. Let's imagine that the fall of man occurred only a year ago. Those of us older than a year would have known a time in which there was only life, no death. Until a year ago we would have never known about wars, famine, cancer, injury, birth defects, rape, abuse, shame, neglect....
Then a year ago EVERYTHING changes! Suddenly, all the things mentioned above and much more are part of our world...our new reality. Oh, how we would regret with bitter tears and a broken heart, the choice we made to disobey God! Surely, we would long for the way it used to be!
What then would our response be to death and suffering? Wouldn't we immediately be painfully aware of why there is pain and suffering in our world? Would we even consider asking, "If God is all loving and all powerful, then how could he allow this?" (A question that has tormented me in the past) No, we would know why the horrors in our world take place and we would long for redemption and restoration. We would long for forgiveness. We would long for a Savior....we would long for Jesus!
I know this doesn't answer many complex questions about God, Evil and the fall of man, but,I think God has set a part of me free this morning. Somehow, when I imagine the fall as a recent event, I think I can see our world with just a little more clarity.
Imagine how differently we would see things if sin only recently entered the human race. Let's imagine that the fall of man occurred only a year ago. Those of us older than a year would have known a time in which there was only life, no death. Until a year ago we would have never known about wars, famine, cancer, injury, birth defects, rape, abuse, shame, neglect....
Then a year ago EVERYTHING changes! Suddenly, all the things mentioned above and much more are part of our world...our new reality. Oh, how we would regret with bitter tears and a broken heart, the choice we made to disobey God! Surely, we would long for the way it used to be!
What then would our response be to death and suffering? Wouldn't we immediately be painfully aware of why there is pain and suffering in our world? Would we even consider asking, "If God is all loving and all powerful, then how could he allow this?" (A question that has tormented me in the past) No, we would know why the horrors in our world take place and we would long for redemption and restoration. We would long for forgiveness. We would long for a Savior....we would long for Jesus!
I know this doesn't answer many complex questions about God, Evil and the fall of man, but,I think God has set a part of me free this morning. Somehow, when I imagine the fall as a recent event, I think I can see our world with just a little more clarity.
