the response

After I wrote my blog yesterday, I got several responses from text messages, email, direct message on facebook. Oddly, this is a topic that people don't comment on publicly.  Maybe for fear of rebuttle or criticism.  Some were links to people smarter than me, to theologians and Christian pastors.  They made sense to me so I feel the need to share them.

Posted on The Learning Curve by Danny
"Even on this day, the professionals have taken to the radio, TV, and internet, discussing how we can explain these situations to our kids and how we process them with each other. I have a friend that I’m currently walking through the gospel with, and I’ll guarantee you that the next time we’ll talk, he’ll bring up today’s shooting. Theologians call it the problem of evil: how do you reconcile the horrific crimes and pains of the world with an all loving God? How can my friend trust a God who allows children to die? How can someone be so deranged, so evil, that they would walk into an elementary school and start shooting?

The only answer is sin. The only remedy is the cross. The only hope is Jesus.

As the people of God processes this day, let us not fall into the trap of naming issues that are not issues. Let us not discuss gun control or early warning signs or tighter security in schools. While all of those discussions have a place, we must take the time to call evil evil. We must point people to Jesus. And we must give people space to ask hard questions and be satisfied that we will not know all the answers.

 My main question has always been that of "God's Plan"  Doesn't he already know what is going to happen? If so, why doesn't he stop these things?  Well, I think that God does have a plan.  I have a plan too and it changes everyday when my children take a longer nap or throw a fit so that I can't get somewhere on time.  sometimes it changes because one of my patient's cancels an appointment.  What I'm getting at is that my plans are often influenced by someone else, a person with a different plan that forces me to change.  God gives us free will, he loves us and he wants us to follow him and to ask him before we act, but he gives us free will. This is where sin comes into play.  This makes God's plan have to change and the only hope is that he can turn evil into good.  Take this awful sin and use it to bring people closer to him.

Another response that I was given.  This is from Kellerquotes.com

One of the great themes of the Hebrew Scriptures is that God identifies with the suffering. There are all these great texts that say things like this: If you oppress the poor, you oppress to me. I am a husband to the widow. I am father to the fatherless. I think the texts are saying God binds up his heart so closely with suffering people that he interprets any move against them as a move against him. This is powerful stuff! But Christianity says he goes even beyond that. Christians believe that in Jesus, God’s son, divinity became vulnerable to and involved in – suffering and death! He didn’t come as a general or emperor. He came as a carpenter. He was born in a manger, no room in the inn.But it is on the Cross that we see the ultimate wonder. On the cross we sufferers finally see, to our shock that God now knows too what it is to lose a loved one in an unjust attack. And so you see what this means? John Stott puts it this way. John Stott wrote: “I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the Cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?” Do you see what this means? Yes, we don’t know the reason God allows evil and suffering to continue, but we know what the reason isn’t, what it can’t be. It can’t be that he doesn’t love us! It can’t be that he doesn’t care. God so loved us and hates suffering that he was willing to come down and get involved in it. And therefore the Cross is an incredibly empowering hint. Ok, it’s only a hint, but if you grasp it, it can transform you. It can give you strength.

So, though God is greater than us.  Though he is able to do things that I will never understand, he has put himself into our shoes before.  If anyone understands the loss of a child in a horrible manner, it is him.  He has been there and it happened for us.  So, let's not put blame on him, let's use him to give us strength.

Another thing was a video of some big christian minister that I don't even want to name.  It was talking about how we have kicked God out of our schools and then we wonder why he is punishing us within the school system.  I think his speaking is one of the many reasons why people don't have faith.  I have a good friend that is not a believer. Many of the things he says make sense to me but the most important is,  "How do I know what is true when even Christians can't agree?"  My answer there is that I don't think this christian was praying for wisdom before he spoke.  I mean really, God was punishing innocent kids so that we would pray in our schools.  Because that makes sense.  Lets just think humanly for a minute... If I want my child to come to me for help, would I punish her for staying away/  Just imagine if I said, "A. you didn't come ask me for help so go sit in time out until you want to talk to me".... What?  I just sent her away, she's not coming closer.  

Finally, the last came from my ever so logical husband.  It came as I was being so fearful and stating that I never want to send my children to school.  So, here are the statistics, 33 people died in school shootings this year.  40 kids died from televisions falling on their heads.  Yes, I know this is over simplified, but it rings true.  We are questioning God, we are questioning our schools, we are questioning ourselves because of a horrific tragedy.  That is what it was, a tragedy.  Not a way of life.  My kids are just as safe at school as they are here with me.  I have to give them the light of God and let it shine through them.  Then pray for their safety and hope that no sinner changes God's plan.  If it does, pray for comfort and peace and that good will come out of it.  

Now, I promise to return to the daily antics of toddlers next post.