Every time there is a tragedy, a Christian leader feels obligated to tell us all what God is doing.
To announce to the world what God is saying through this catastrophe.
They even deign to tell us what God is thinking, what is motivating God to allow the destruction.
And every time this happens, I feel extremely uncomfortable.
I listen ...
I ponder ...
And I wonder:
How does this person know what God is doing?
How do they know what God is saying?
How do they know what God is thinking?
Here's the truth -- THEY DON'T KNOW.
They don't.
But they are pretending they do. It feels powerful. It feels authoritative -- superior, even.
The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8:2:
Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.
So, when you hear someone start to pontificate about what God is doing, thinking or saying through this current pandemic, be wary.
God is a great Mystery.
God's ways are beyond our ways; God's thoughts beyond our thoughts.
When great tragedy strikes, we must refrain from making pronouncements about God.
Instead, we must remember that God is doing what God has always been doing --
Drawing people to himself in love and grace.
Commanding us to show love for him by showing love to our neighbor, especially our poor, marginalized and down-trodden neighbor.
Weeping alongside us -- over the destruction, the sickness, the pain, the callousness of the powerful.
One thing we can know, no matter the time or season --
God is with us.
God is with us.
God is with us.
And if that is all we know, it is enough.