Monday, February 14, 2011

Does poverty, pain and suffering disprove God?

On the contrary I think it proves God. For we can reason this way, and reason that way but we have to remember that our ability to reason has been given to us from God. We will only ever figure out as much of the mystery and ways of God as he wants us to figure out. He does not want us to have all the facts and answers because then faith becomes obsolete. We have to believe; as Jesus told Thomas in John 21:29 "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believed."

Now lets take my fictional home town of louieville for example. On one side of the tracks is the poor side, dirty walks and rundown houses but the people here are happy for the most part. Little Billy with his gimpy leg is playing ball as well as he can with the kids, his family doesn't have the money for the operation. Grandpa Caleb is starting to get forgetful and his daughters and daughters in law are taking turns helping Grandma out. In the evenings since nobody can afford TV's family's get together to sing, visit, play board games and socialize. On Sundays and church holidays the little local one-room church is always full and everyone always got their same seats reserved, so if someone is missing you know and try to find out if he/she is sick or away. And the preacher is a throwback to the old "hellfire and brimstone" days and sorta reminds you of the dolly parton song "daddy was an old time preacher man". Theres no fancy programmes in this church, just the pure straightforward word of God.

So now we go to the other side of the tracks and it seems like a whole new world. Fancy two story houses with two car garages. Immaculately kept shrubs, freshly mowed lawns, beautiful yards, clean streets. Not too much action though, as everybody is either away at their jobs or at home watching their favorite program. The kids are so involved in their social networking or newest video games they don't have time to go and play. Very few know who their next door neighbor is or even seems to care, this is in stark contrast to the seemingly different world a few minutes away on the other side of the tracks. When Sunday comes around and whoever can make it does, they come in their fancy sedans to the brand new multi-million dollar church dressed to the tee, suits and ties for the men. The ladies immaculately dressed with hair and nails freshly done. The children dressed like little gentlemen/ladies with their perfect smiles and teeth. Everybody sits down, the lights dim and the service begins. The preacher is someone that was hired in and has a fairly entertaining sermon but is careful not to step on toes and evades touchy subjects, he has a job to keep after all. After the sermon everybody files out and all those with handicapped children or elderly parents in the local home care go visit.

So on which side of town do the people feel a greater need and desire for God? On the poor side where the pain, poverty and suffering is before their eyes daily or on the rich side of town where everything is esthetically clean and pleasing?

And yes, there are exceptions on both sides of town. Theres some God-fearing families in the nice part of town and some really bad people on the poor side of town.

So if you're trying to figure out what point I'm trying to make, its this; Our idea of how God should run this world, no poverty, no poor, no handicapped children, no diseases or cancer, or alzheimers and different ailments of the elderly. If everything runs perfectly and we are in control, when do we look to God? What will make us pray and search for answers? For it is written 'Seek and you shall find.'

If once we are dead and will look back at our life from the other side, won't things look a bit different? Won't we be glad of the trials and tribulations that we had here on earth? At what point in our life where we closest to Jesus, or more correctly was he closest to us?

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