"When it's your time to go, it's your time to go. But what if it's the pilot's time?" Robin Williams
"There is a story behind the sculpture known as The Sculptor and the Angel of Death. It is the figure of a young ambitious sculptor who has already carved a most beautiful face from the marble and is about to work on the body. With his chisel ready to strike, the Angel of Death stops him and thus the work of art is left unfinished. " M.S. Rice
"Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sins." Deuteronomy 24:16
We have all known situations where it seems like the death of someone is senseless, either because they were innocent bystanders or because death was more punishment that fit the crime.
So how do we make sense of "unjust death" from a faith perspective? Why does a holy and loving God allow this kind of death to happen? And what do we make of Scripture that suggests that God actually orders death to happen?
Do we believe that everyone has a specific time and situation for death, as the humorous quote from Robin Willimas suggests? Or does God put events into motion and then leaves the rest up to us?
Basically it boils down to this - how can a just God allow injustice, especially when it results in untimely death? Take a look at the following Scriptures and let me know what you think? Enjoy!
Genesis 4:1-16
Joshua 10:34-42
Acts 7:55-60
Matthew 18:12-14
Isaiah 55:8-9
Sneak peek into next week - The Death Penalty
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Why get disturbed about questions we can't answer, can't answer in this life anyway. Our 11 y.o. granddaughter died in a freak car accident. She was smart, kind, wise beyond her years. Did I agonize over why her? I didn't because I had/have such a strong feeling that God was protecting her from something worse than death and maybe protecting some other people too. Alex was an organ donor - a decision she made as a 10 y.o. We have recently been in contact with the family of the little boy who got her heart. They are a wonderful Christian family. Is that why she died? I have no idea, but I do believe God has a plan and it is unfolding as it should whether I understand it or not. Maybe that is simple minded but it allows me to live a peaceful and happy life, hopefully the kind of life that has and hopefully will continue to lead others to God.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, this kind of touches on the free will debate too. If someone is murdered or killed by a drunk driver, is that God's will or is it the result of us having free will? I don't know the answer, but I have a hard time thinking God would want someone to die at the hands of another person.
ReplyDeleteThanks once again to everyone who read and responded to this week's column. Unjust death does become a very complicated issue because of our limited understanding of what "unjust" means. It does indeed bring in issues of free will and predestination (topics to be covered later) and Scripture does not provide a consistent answer based on the circumstances of each incident.
ReplyDeleteSimply accepting things as they happen without delving deep into the "why" question can be a sign of great faith and trust in God. But it can also be an entry point in knowing that God for those who do not yet have a deep faith.
My best answer to the question is much like one of the respondents mentioned - God's plan is "unfolding", in other words, we do not have all the information available to us that God has. Enough has been revealed for us to trust God, but it not a sign of a lack of faith to go ahead and ask the hard questions anyway. There is more at stake here than a human understanding of justice.
What I have learned as a pastor is - (1)I can trust God even when it doesn't make any sense to me and (2) I learn what I can do from situations like this to live in such a way that there is always something more that I do not know and may never know in this life that would bring clarity to me.
Bottom line is, trust God with whatever faith you have and never be afraid to search for an answer through Scripture and prayer. God bless you all.