I just returned from a 3-alarm fire 2-3 blocks away from
where we live. It had been terrifying to see this in my own neighborhood.
However, after it was subdued, I wanted to tell the firemen that I really
appreciated them but could not do so with the tears of gratefulness in my eyes.
Suddenly, I felt part of the community and connected to
others. A couple of hours later, I returned to survey the damage. It was a joy
to be able to talk to my neighbors. Had I approached them on an ordinary day,
they would have wondered, "What does he want?"
Tragedy brings us together and connects us. We need tragedy
in our lives, even the prospect of death, a fate common to all of us.
The skeptic accuses, “If God is all-benevolent and
all-powerful, why couldn’t he have created a better world without suffering?” I
am convinced that the better world requires suffering. Without consequences, it
seems that we become no more than please-seekers, and others become no more
than tools to serve our pleasures.
I certainly do not understand everything that God does – far
from it – but this should not stop us from giving Him the thanks He deserves.
No comments:
Post a Comment