I stumbled across this in The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne:
"I remember hearing about an old comic strip back in the days of St. Ed's. Two guys are talking to each other, and one of them says he has a question for God. He wants to ask why God allows all of this poverty and war and suffering to exist in the world. And his friend says.'Well, why don't you ask?' The fellow shakes his head and says he is scared. When his friend asks why, he mutters.'I'm scared God will ask me the same question.' Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me,'You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet."
punch to the gut.
imagine this:
you have the chance to walk up to God. your heart and mind seem to be in the right place. you have only the best intentions in life. you are simply worried about others and you want things to be just and right in the world. so you go to the source. with a childlike heart you walk up to God with much confusion. you look Him straight in the eyes and say,"God I just don't get it. Why do these things happen? People are getting sick, robbed, murdered, persecuted, mocked, raped, going hungry, being abandoned. You're a good and just God. Why do you let this happen?" Then God does His wise thing and answers you with a question. "You accepted my son Jesus Christ, right? OK. You claim to be His hands and feet, right? OK. So you tell me why these things are happening. Why do YOU let it happen?"
the weight of the world
dropped on your lap
so often i find people asking "why God, why God" and yet they sit around and do nothing. people ask how a good God can allow horrible things to happen in this world, but every time they ask, they forget to take a look at themselves and the rest of the world.
when Jesus was here God was physically here.
when Jesus left we were given the Holy Spirit in place of Him.
so we are here physically with the Holy Spirit living in us.
we are His hands.
we are His feet.
the reality is that once Jesus left, is hands and feet actually multiplied.
we were not left without.
the resources, the talents, the authority.
it has all been given. it is in our hands. it is in our grasp. it is part of us.
it is the Body of Christ.
God has every reason to look at us and ask why?
Jesus told His disciples that once He left they would do what He has been doing, but not just that
greater things than these
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING?
we ask
why
why
why
and while we sit and ask
people are dying due to our laziness
not a lack of God's goodness.
instead of asking why, let's start saying why not
why not feed the hungry
why not clothe the naked
why not love the abandoned
why not tend to the sick and hurting
why not live into the divine calling that God has placed on us
it's not just a calling.
it is an amazing opportunity to let the One True God work through us!
He is letting us be a part of something Holy!
i am challenged probably more than any of you reading this so please don't think that i am trying to call you out. i simply want to wake up the Body and ask everyone to do their part. use what God has given you
gifts
talents
resources
friends
anything and everything
because
even though we might not be able to change every physical thing for someone.
and it might seem like they are still in a rough situation.
and it may be hell on earth for them.
if they accept the gift of Life from Jesus then they are headed to a better place.
but if we don't
not only will they have hell on earth
they will eternally be separated from their Father God.
we need to stop asking why and start taking up our responsibility.
after all
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING
even use small, weak humans to establish an eternal kingdom.
dropped on your lap
so often i find people asking "why God, why God" and yet they sit around and do nothing. people ask how a good God can allow horrible things to happen in this world, but every time they ask, they forget to take a look at themselves and the rest of the world.
when Jesus was here God was physically here.
when Jesus left we were given the Holy Spirit in place of Him.
so we are here physically with the Holy Spirit living in us.
we are His hands.
we are His feet.
the reality is that once Jesus left, is hands and feet actually multiplied.
we were not left without.
the resources, the talents, the authority.
it has all been given. it is in our hands. it is in our grasp. it is part of us.
it is the Body of Christ.
God has every reason to look at us and ask why?
Jesus told His disciples that once He left they would do what He has been doing, but not just that
greater things than these
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING?
we ask
why
why
why
and while we sit and ask
people are dying due to our laziness
not a lack of God's goodness.
instead of asking why, let's start saying why not
why not feed the hungry
why not clothe the naked
why not love the abandoned
why not tend to the sick and hurting
why not live into the divine calling that God has placed on us
it's not just a calling.
it is an amazing opportunity to let the One True God work through us!
He is letting us be a part of something Holy!
i am challenged probably more than any of you reading this so please don't think that i am trying to call you out. i simply want to wake up the Body and ask everyone to do their part. use what God has given you
gifts
talents
resources
friends
anything and everything
because
even though we might not be able to change every physical thing for someone.
and it might seem like they are still in a rough situation.
and it may be hell on earth for them.
if they accept the gift of Life from Jesus then they are headed to a better place.
but if we don't
not only will they have hell on earth
they will eternally be separated from their Father God.
we need to stop asking why and start taking up our responsibility.
after all
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING
even use small, weak humans to establish an eternal kingdom.
