Everything Happens for a Reason

In a few hours we will arrive at the hospital and begin the process of inducing the birth of my son. Every moment of every life is, literally, hanging by a string. Babies, however, seem to more intensely symbolize all of that. They seem more at risk, the unknown seems more palpable with them. One ponders the possibilities more often, the potential problems loom larger.

When things go badly, it is common to hear "everything happens for a reason." I wrote last week about God's actions among us. Does God directly cause everything? Does God micromanage every event, dictating everthing thought, word and deed of everyone at everytime? If He does, then what I am about to say, "I don't think so," is not true, but I have no choice. God made me say it. His eternal plan is to make me think incorrectly. Your own responses would also be dictated, fashioned and determined by God before time and for all time.

That is why I say anyone who believes God controls "everything" would never make an argument for their position. Logic would not be able to sway anyone about anything. Logic requires freedom, to listen, to analyze, to weigh arguments and counter arguments. There is choice involved. Choice rerquires the presence of some degree of freedom.

I believe God intervenes. I believe in miracles. I also believe there are times where it is quite subtle. My understanding of systems helps me see that minor adjustments can produce huge outcomes. God could impact major events in and through minor players. I believe He does. I do not believe, however, that He conrtols every, single thing.

I believe God has a plan. I do not think His plan controls every detail. His creation has been given space to develop. The basic elements are in place for things to happen. Humans are "co-creators" in the sense that He has pulled back and given us space to make choices.

No sin is God's direct will. I do not think that God lays down commandments (e.g. "Thou shalt not kill") and then creates any number of humans whom He then makes into killers. The barbarism of the Nazi death camp is not "the mysterious work of a loving God whose ways are too difficult for us to understand." It is the product of human evil, directly opposed to God's plan for all people to live together in loving community. I was taught that evil occurs through the "permissive will of God." In other words, God allows things to happen. We are not puppets.

If God controls everything then He does not save. If, on the other hand, the world has some independent function (all dervived from God and sustained by God) then there is a sense in which He saves. Prayer makes sense in a world where things are haywire. Prayer makes sense in a world where God's absence (a Biblical theme) is the problem. Prayer makes sense in a world where God intervenes. If God is already controling everything and everything happens because He wants it that way, then prayer is really meaningless (although we have to pray because that is how He constructed the universe)

I think that Genesis teaches us that, from the beginning, the world is a wild place in need of dominion. From the beginning, God set us humans into a context where we can make choices, for good or ill. From the beginning, He "leaves the scene" providing us the ''room'' to think, feel, desire and choose.

Everything happens for a reason. The ultimate, underlying cause of everything is God. But events are also generated by an endless number of other factors, including us. The world operates under laws. Past choices and events impact the future context of other choices and events. The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children.

There is still plenty of mystery and God's activity is infinitely subtle, beautiful and. at times, difficult to discern. I do not think He directly causes rape and murder, or makes people suffer torture at the hands of evil people. The world to come will be better because in the world to come there will be an absence of the things which make us so sad. It is called "the reign of God" by Jesus. I think it means that God is, in some sense, not reigning right now. That is why Jesus refers to "the Prince of this world." Here and now, some other entitiy (human and demonic) has power. We await deliverance into the hands of the Lord and His Messiah.

Well, the phone just rang. It is 3 a.m. and our appointment has been postponed. We were instructed to call back later to find out our new time. The work of God? Who knows what all is going on? So many moving parts. So many players involved. So many factors. There is an irony to it all.

I do think it consistent to believe God is watching over us. That God is present, whether things go "well" or not. I do believe that we can choose to invite God into the process. The frustrations of being delayed, the stress of not sleeping or the worries about the unknown are an environment within which we can encounter God. God really gives us freedom and room to live and choose. I believe that God does not control every single detail because I believe in love. You see, God cannot make us love Him (or each other). Love, trust, relationship all require that we be free. Otherwise it is a sham. I think the world is real. I think God gives us options. I think God wants us to choose to love and serve Him.