By Pastor Devlyn Brooks
One of the most challenging issues that faithful people have to wrestle with is that if our supposedly loving God is mighty enough to have created the entire universe, down to the tiniest of details, then why does he not prevent the most horrific acts that we humans commit?
Our region was stunned when on July 14 a gunman intent on inflicting mass carnage on our community was taken out by one lonely and brave Fargo police officer, who’s actions saved untold lives.
Had Officer Zach Robinson not stopped the gunman, the casualties would have been unthinkable. It makes me shudder just to think about it.
Circumstances such as this make it very easy to ask the critical question: Why does God allow tragedies such as this to happen?
If I’m truthful with you, I too ask this question over and over, again and again. I suspect that even the most ardent of faithful people do too.
And while even as a pastor, with many expecting me to contemplate the most difficult of faith questions all the time, I would be lying if I told you I had the answer.
Because I just don’t know.
I don’t know why God allows a gunman with unknown intent to gun down three officers, killing one, and an innocent bystander. Or why seemingly healthy loved ones die from massive aneurysms in the prime of their lives? Or why children suffer. Or why are there incurable terminal diseases? In recent months, I have been haunted by all of these questions. Sometimes even keeping me up at night.
And I’ve arrived nowhere nearer an answer that consoles me. … I just know that part of being human is knowing that tragedies happen, and part of being faithful is accepting that God doesn’t always prevent them.
These are truths with which each of us must wrestle.
But even knowing that, these are the things that bring me comfort. First, even in the darkest, bleakest moments through which we live, if you look hard enough, God is at work through the Holy Spirit somewhere. I promise.
And, second, God will always work through the brokenness we experience to make something good, gluing back together what evil in this world shatters. Maybe not instantly, but eventually, the long reach of God through the ages uses everything for good.
My favorite song by the band called Mercy Me is titled “Even If,” and it addresses this very difficult issue. … Why God, why would you let this happen?
The chorus goes like this:
“I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
Would all go away if You'd just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone”
Faith Family … even in the face of tragedy, God is our hope alone.
While I cannot answer the bigger question of why God doesn’t prevent tragedies -- large or small -- I take comfort in the belief that God does act. It just may require us to look a little deeper in some instances to see it. … Amen.
Update on the Israel Trip
By now, I hope that our congregation knows that we are planning a potential trip to the Holy Land in February.
We’re a couple of months into the exploration phase, and we’ve already held two informational meetings about the trip for our congregation members.
On May 21, about 10 of our Faith Family gathered to watch the informational video about the proposed congregational trip to the Holy Land. And about the same number attended a question and answer forum with the travel company rep during our July 12 worship service. Thank you to those who attended!
Since that time, we also have started to invite people from other churches and guests of our congregation members along for the trip.
We seem to be getting very close to a critical mass for the number of registrations we need for the trip to take place.
But we are now coming to the most critical phase. There are two factors we need to consider. The first is the number of attendees, and the second is the upcoming registration deadline of Aug. 27.
We need seven confirmed registrations by that time to ensure that the trip is a go. And secondly, the earlier we have firm registration numbers, the better opportunity the travel company will have in getting flights booked so that we can travel together.
If you are interested and have not yet expressed that interest, please let me know. This will be very helpful as we continue to explore the likelihood of this once-in-a-lifetime faith trip together.
Thank you Faith Family!
Blessings to you this August!
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