We're not in Eden anymore Todo

It is sometimes challenging to preach after a catastrophic event, especially one that is as tragic at the one the world is witnessing in Haiti since the devastating earthquake last week. What does one say? The underlying questions are: For the faithful, "How can we defend the God we claim to be loving and merciful in the face of such a scale of suffering?" For both the faithful and those who claim otherwise, "If God is so mighty and good, why did God allow this happen?" God is on trial, again.

Well, instead of defending God and our faith (which is what is really on the line), we might be better served by reviewing, even very briefly, the biblical story and God's role in it, as well as the historical record of the interaction of humans with the created world. Let's start with the created world.

"God created... and it was good;" good, not perfect. However, it seems that there was at least the assumption of perfection early on; life that was very sweet indeed and apparently not under threat of the natural order - life in the Garden. As we all know that gig was pretty short-lived. So out into the wider creation we went, to work the land, hunt for food, build our own lodging and generally (if not specifically, as those of us who have experienced childbirth can attest) endure the pain of living in the created world. A world that is good, that is sufficient, that is life-giving and life-sustaining; that is filled with potential, but is not perfect - nor ever promised to be.

For millions of years this planet has been creaking and moaning, splitting open, shifting and erupting; the winds are doing today what they have pretty much always done; and the seas and rainfall do what is natural for them to do as part of the created order. We ask, Why? when should just ask, When? We're not in Eden anymore Todo. We go through life under the self-created illusion that the created world is only for our benefit, our use, our disposal, our control, as if it were our possession. And when it seems to go wrong, suddenly God is to blame. But the natural order that God created is wild and uncontrollable and serves to remind us of God's unfathomable, awesome nature. The created order does not seek to destroy but simply does what is its nature to do. When the earth shifts violently and the landscape changes it is clear that creation itself is continuing to evolve. The ground we stand upon was once under water, and parts of it will be submerged again, given time. It is not that we do not know of this potentially destructive power, we do, we simply chose to ignore it. Even so, we build houses on shorelines that, in the natural course of time, will erode - and there aren't enough sandbags on earth to prevent it. We have the technology to build stronger structures to withstand the earth's violent shaking and destructive winds, but that is not where we chose to invest our resources. God's created order needs no defense, it is doing what it has always done; the issue is how we chose to live in concert with that order. It is far easier to ask, "Why did God do this to these people in this place at this time?" then to admit, "We could have done a better job to protect them and us against these powerful elements."

Humankind has always been at the mercy of the elements. The most obvious example is that of famine, a common threat to the people of the ancient world. God's response, again and again was merciful and saving. Certainly the people who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years knew of hunger and thirst and were provided with water and manna. Even so, many died. And many more mourned their losses. Yet all the while they were continually reminded and thus sustained by God's promise of new life: Shalom for the dead and hope for the living.

We have not been promised safety and protection from the powerful forces of the created world, any more so than we are immune to debilitating disease or accidental injury; it is the hardest part of living. On some level we all worry about the harm that might come to those we love. As a mother and wife, daughter and sister, and as a pastor, I am acutely aware of the tension that exists between the temporal joys and pleasures of life and the 'when' of the uncontainable events of the created world to which we are all subject. The thread the runs through both is the assurance of God's consistent faithfulness, presence, and comfort; so should we wake today only to die there is hope in tomorrow for us and for all who remain.