What the Cross Says When Words Fail

On Sunday, we began a conversation that we need to have but that, all too often, the Church has been too reluctant to have. We’re diving into the deep waters of suffering, asking: Why does a loving, all-powerful God allow pain and suffering?
It’s not an easy question and not one that we’ll pretend to have clear and concise answers for either. It’s also not a new question either. As we said on Sunday, the Book of Job, written some 3000 years ago, spends 42 chapters wrestling with it. Jesus’ own disciples asked it. You and I have probably asked it more times than we care to admit.

Confronting the Question We All Ask

Yesterday, the husband of the principal of the school we taught at the Bahamas died suddenly from blood leakage on his brain. His name was Troy Albury and he was in his mid-50s and just a few weeks away from experiencing the joy of giving his daughter away to be married. So tragic. So random. So few answers to be found. At some point in life, most of us will bump into a version of the same question: If God is good and all-powerful, then why…?

The Powers That Blend In

So, this past Sunday I shared about the powers and principalities and if you were there, you’ll note that I wasn’t referring, necessarily, just to the scary ones with ominous names and spooky vibes—but more the subtle ones that tend to get a pass due to their very innocuous and non-threatening nature. You know, the ones that smile politely and offer you a coffee while they rearrange your soul and challenge your allegiance.