Readings for today: Amos 1-5, Psalms 126
I’ve been listening to a great podcast recently called, “Unbelievable?” The show brings together Christians and non-Christians, theists and atheists, religious and secularists to discuss a variety of topics. They come from all across the spectrum socially and politically. They represent some of the best thinking today on issues like the problem of evil, the dangers of AI, just war, faith and politics, etc. It’s really amazing to listen to participants debate back and forth. One of the fundamental differences that comes up over and over again is who is responsible for the evil and pain and suffering in the world. For the atheist, there is no one responsible. The world is the way that it is. It’s a closed system and everything can be explained through natural or material processes. There really is no such thing as a natural disaster. It’s simply nature being nature. Volcanoes erupt. Earthquakes shake the ground. Hurricanes whip the ocean into a frenzy. Mass extinction events happen with some degree of regularity. While this argument has some degree of internal consistency, it is clearly inadequate for most people. For the Christian, responsibility is split between two entities. First, we believe in a supernatural being we call “the satan” or the accuser. A fallen angel who is the Father of lies and the author of evil and who does all he can to weave death and destruction and entropy and chaos into the fabric of all God has made. Second, humanity. A creature made in God’s own image who embraced rebellion and sin at the dawn of creation and who continues to wreak havoc on all God has made as he/she pursues his/her own selfish ends. This argument too has internal consistency but also proves inadequate for most people. Most people find themselves somewhere between these two poles. On the one hand, we don’t want to bear the responsibility for how our actions lead to so much suffering in the world so we tend to reject the Christian point of view. On the other hand, we cannot seem to escape the existential feeling that something is terribly wrong or horribly broken about the world so we tend to reject the atheist point of view.
The Bible is clear. “For three crimes, even four” God will not relent from punishing the nations. “For three crimes, even four” God will not withhold judgment even from His chosen people. We are guilty. God makes that abundantly clear. We are responsible. God is direct and honest and forthright about it. We are at fault and in the wrong and God will hold us accountable. I talk to lots of people in my line of work. Christians and non-Christians alike. Progressives and conservatives. Marxists and capitalists. Democrats and Republicans. Young and old. Rich and poor. People of different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. One of the things they all seem to have in common is an inner resistance to the idea that they are guilty of crimes against God. They seemingly have no problem seeing how other people could be credibly accused but they struggle to see it in themselves. The same was true for our ancient near east ancestors. It didn’t matter whether they lived in Damascus or Gaza, Tyre, Edom or Moab, even Israel and Judah! No one wanted to acknowledge their culpability before God. Even when God brings all kinds of judgment in the form of famine, drought, blight, or plagues; they still refused to humble themselves and change their ways. And what is God’s response? One would think He would completely out those who rebel against His rule and reign. But that’s not what happens. Instead, God comes to them. God reveals Himself to them. All in an effort to draw them back to Himself. “Therefore, Israel…prepare to meet your God! He is here: the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, the one who makes the dawn out of darkness and strides on the heights of the earth. The Lord, the God of Armies, is his name.” (Amos 4:12-13 CSB)
Friends, not much has changed in the thousands of years since Amos walked onto the scene. Humanity still rebels against God, still struggles to accept responsibility for our crimes against our Creator. Thankfully, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is no shadow or turning in Him. He is eternally consistent and unchangeable. Rather than judge us and destroy us, He comes to us. He reveals Himself to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. All in an effort to draw us back to Himself. He has defeated the powers of sin and death and the devil and is even now working through humanity to restore all He has made. God’s great desire is to restore us to our rightful place within His created order but for that to happen, we need to humble ourselves and submit to His will and ways.
Readings for tomorrow: Amos 6-9, Psalms 127