The Problem Of Evil

The Good Friday service at my church tonight was especially powerful.  The message was about taking responsibility for our individual sins that put Jesus on the cross and how doing so is a crucial part of accepting the forgiveness that Christ extends to us.  During communion, we had the option of dipping our hands into red paint and then placing them on the cross to acknowledge our guilt.  We then were invited to take communion and then go to another station to wash our hands as a symbol of the cleansing provided by Jesus' death on the cross.  The bowl of water quickly became red, making the stains difficult to wash off, similar to how there was only one way that our stains could be washed off and it was not easy.  

As powerful as those reminders were, there was one part of communion that really got to me.  I had the privilege of serving communion tonight.  I got the grape juice.  As anyone who has served communion at my church knows, this can be a bit of a messy job as some of the grape juice inevitably ends drips off of the bread.  Tonight was especially powerful as I felt the grape juice stream down my hands at times and saw spots of it spattered on the floor, all while telling person after person, "The blood of Christ spilled for you."  It was almost like feeling that blood spilled out over me.  My hands were shaking by about half way through.

Today is a day of mourning.  A day of mourning Jesus' death.  But it is not sufficient to only mourn His death.  True repentance comes in mourning the reason for His death.  So often we focus on the fact that Jesus died because He loves us.  While this is true and fully supported by John 3:16, it is not the whole truth.  Because of our sin, we were separated from God.  A perfect sacrifice had to be given in order for us to be reconciled to Him.  Our sins had to be placed on that sacrifice.  The cross is not about God overlooking our sins; it is about God placing them on His one and only Son and punishing Him so that we may live by putting our faith in Him.

Jesus didn't just die on the cross because He loves us.  He died on a cross because our sins grieve Him and He wants to remove them.  That was the only way.  I don't think it is possible to  show proper appreciation for the sacrifice Christ made without grieving our sins that put Him there and realizing just how awful those sins are.  At some point in our lives, we have all chosen to yell, "Crucify Him," spit in His face, and mocked Him.

One of the major philosophical issues, especially in regards to religion, is the problem of evil.  How could a God who is all good, all knowing, and all powerful allow evil to happen.  Christ's willing death on the cross is never mentioned.the thing is, why would a God who doesn't absolutely detest evil take on flesh, allow Himself to be handed over to His enemies, and willingly die one of the most brutal and humiliating deaths in all of history in order to rid people of their sins- and not just so they can go to Heaven, but that this redemption would take place here and now?  I look at Jesus and see a God who cares far more about the problem of evil than any of us do.  And He conquered it on that cross.

When I realize just how much was given in order to pay for my sins, I hate my sins.  I hate my sins that put the God I love on that cross.  The cross is where my desire to turn from my sins is strongest.  I'm repulsed by the way they marred my beloved Savior.  And in this I find my desire to take up my cross and follow Him- to die to myself and to find a new and better life in Him.

Catalyst

There are a few common phrases that I absolutely hate when it comes to things that are contrary to God's will.  They include phrases like, "It's normal," "Everybody does that," "That's life," and "That's just who I am."  These are all phrases that serve to take away our responsibility and pretend like we don't havepower to do anything about whatever is being spoken of.  I don't think God will accept these answers when asked why we didn't do anything to help change some of the things that are contrary to His will but have come to be seen as normal.


Porn has become normalized.  Instead of fighting it, it is common for people just to expect that men will view porn and in many cases view them as odd if they don't.  Not appropriatley dealing with conflict has been normalized.  It has the power to damage and even end relationships, but it's viewed as a normal part of life and rarely seen as something that needs to be changed unless perhaps violence is involved.  Only investing in the people we want to invest in and not those that God puts in our paths that might be a challenge to love is seen as normal and totally accepted.  Being so busy that we don't have time for what's actually important and not having solid priorities is seen as normal and even as a good thing.  It's seen as just a part of the way the world works when some people suffer from lack while others have beyond what they need, and I'm not just talking about material things here.  It's also not uncommon for us to rationalize having more by saying that we did something to earn it and the other person didn't.  Rarely is failing to keep one's word thought of as an issue, and if someone is hurt by that, they're considered to be too sensitive.  This is just a small list of things that have become rationalized as being normal.


We have the power to change these things and that power begins with acknowledging that they're not just normal.  They may be normal in the sense that sin is normal, but that doesn't mean that God approves of them.  We have the power to refuse porn and there is help for those who need it.  There are healthy ways of conflict that can help build relationships if we are willing to learn and practice them.  Loving is a command- a call to action that is based on God's love and not our feelings about a person; we can show His love to the people that are difficult for us to love.  We can choose our priorities and fix our schedule around them.  We don't have to be so busy all the time.  It may require sacrifice, but we don't have to be so busy.  We can generously give to those who lack what we have extra of.  We can do what we say were going to do and be more aware of what we commit to.  Al of these things require sacrifice on our part.


Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice to help us change these things- His life.  The Holy Spirit work in us to change these things.  Jesus gave us an example of how to live that flew in the face of everone's definition of normal in some way, both then and now.  Jesus was a catalyst.  He didn't care about normal; His mission was to change people's hearts and have them embrace Kingdom values instead of the norms of a fallen world.  Sometimes they're the same, but sometimes they're not.  I've focused on the things that are normal that need to be changed, but there are also things that may not be normal that should be embraced.  Sometimes those go hand in hand with rejecting the things that are normal and not beneficial.  Jesus challenged the status quo and not just for the sake of challenging it.  He wants for His followers to be catalysts as well.  His disciples did an excellent job of this and turned the world upside down.  We can do the same if we are willing to examine the Bible and our traditions and rely on God's truth instead of norms.  The Holy Spirit is waiting to help us.


I want to be redeemed from anything which is considered normal but is not like God's character.  I believe Christ died to redeem me from that.  I alo believe that redemption is meant to lead me to participate in Christ's redemptive work in the world in whatever ways He leads me.  I believe that as I become healthier in my walk with Him, it will affect those around me.  Some may not like it and choose to leave.  Others may stick with me and God may use it to redeem areas of their lives as well and we can grow together.  I think that's a beauty of Christianity that we miss out on because of "normal".