In the midst of great tragedy and despair, many people ask, "Why didn't God do something? If God is so loving and powerful, why didn't He intervene and keep this from happening? How can a loving God just watch all this unfold and do nothing? Where was God? Does He even care?"
These questions were asked again after the horrible heart-wrenching massacre of little children and loving adults in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that occurred on December 14, 2012. I think it is important to know the answer to these questions, especially for the distraught ones closest to the tragedy. No one wants to feel abandoned by God or to feel like tragedy is somehow amusing or entertaining to Him. Many of us were brought up being told that God loves us. When something like this happens, it's easy to doubt that.
But here's the thing: We've been taught that God is omniscient and omnipresent, i.e., that He is all-knowing and everywhere at once. The Bible teaches that He knows the very number of hairs on our heads, He knows thoughts before we speak them, He has foreknowledge of events. Since we can't predict these events, since we don't have the power to intervene and stop the horrible from happening, we think God should. In fact, because we basically trust Him, most of us would give Him unilateral and unqualified power to act on our behalf when it comes to such major tragedies, so that they could be avoided altogether.
The problem, however, lies in drawing a line. Do we want Him to intervene only in the most devastating disasters (tsunamis, hurricanes, mass shootings)? What about accidental shootings or car accidents? Fender-benders? Falls from ladders? Cancer??? Wait! What about colds and flu? Bumps and bruises? A cut when we're slicing vegetables? What about a lie that would harm someone's reputation? Or running up the national debt by our government? What about thoughts that could turn into evil deeds?
Just where do you draw the line? Can you tell God, "It's okay for You to intervene in cases that would end in major catastrophe, but otherwise, no." Even this is difficult to clearly define in real life. What is a major catastrophe to some people (the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) may not be for others (all who were thrilled that World War II came to an end). Problems, problems, problems.
I believe God is deeply, deeply grieved by our tragedies. I believe He wishes He could cancel every one of them out. But when He created us in His image, along with that came the right for each thinking human being to make his or her own decisions, and the right to live a life that is not manipulated or predestined. Without this, we would be slaves or puppets, with no personal dignity or responsibility. This is why God never forces us to serve Him. Free will is incredibly precious and without price!
It simply boils down to this: We cannot have it both ways. We cannot have God's intervention only when we think it serves our best interests. Free will comes with the option to act in a loving, kind, supportive manner as well as a selfish, hateful, revengeful manner. It also comes with the right to experience life without God orchestrating our lives, like in the movie Truman. Unfortunately, this means tragedy will happen and horrible pain will sometimes be inevitable. But you cannot give up just a little free will or a little of your destiny any more than you can die just a little death.
God loves us enough that He just will not subject us to slavery, either through manipulating our choices or our environment. But that isn't to say He never intervenes. The Word teaches that He protects and provides for His children. How this happens is material for another blog!
