“God’s people must
be gentle, patient teachers of those who are wrong." ~ 2
Timothy 2:24
Daniele started college with a
roommate she hadn’t known before. They became
quick friends; it seemed their discussions never ended. Rebecca said she was a “very spiritual person.”
She’d been to church a few times and
“guessed she was a Christian.”
When Danielle revealed that
Jesus Christ was the most important thing in her life, Rebecca appeared warmly
supportive. “I think we’re kinda saying the same thing,” she reasoned.
Daniele silently disagreed.
Halfway through the semester the
COVID pandemic forced the university to close down and empty the dorms. When Daniele hadn’t heard from her roommate
in several weeks, she sent a text message suggesting they reconnect on Zoom. Only then did Daniele learn that her friend
had lost both a grandfather and an uncle to the malicious virus.
In a brief, angry text, Rebecca said, “See – this is why I
don’t and never have believed in your (expletive) god. We didn’t deserve this. I’m so bitter!”
Initially Daniele took the comments personally; an insult to
her beliefs. “How could my friend,
someone I care deeply for, say such things, knowing my religious views?” she
wondered. Daniele had come to know God
and trust His goodness despite, and often a result of, trials and adversities. As she often did, she looked to His Word for
guidance.
Paul suggested a “gentle, patient response.” In the absence of faith, it’s almost
impossible to develop trust when you’ve been beaten down. In these situations, trying to make someone
believe in God can have the opposite effect.
Her influence would be more powerful, not by what she
intended to say, but how Rebecca would feel about the way Daniele listened. Listening empathetically, Paul reasoned, was
itself a witness.
She’d reach out and engage her
friend in tolerant conversation; listening to her pain – sharing tears, grief
and hope. And when Rebecca’s anger (hopefully)
subsides, she’ll be there for her. Her
witness will long be remembered.
People often question, “If God is a God of love why does He
let people suffer?” To be truthful, I
don’t know. I don’t know why children
get cancer. I don’t know why people
suffer catastrophic trauma, why natural disasters happen, or why COVID is killing thousands of people?
One could argue that viruses are part of the natural world
and in some way contribute to life, but this fails miserably when speaking to
someone who’s lost a friend or loved one. Father James Martin suggests that a better
question for believers in times of suffering is: “Can you believe in a God that
you don’t understand?”
If the mystery of suffering is therefore unanswerable, the
answer even for nonbelievers may be found in the study of Jesus’ life on earth.
Lord God, it often takes painful
circumstances to drive us to You. Addiction,
materialism, and other tragedies steal the hearts of those who need You most. We pray for those unsaved; that You will be able
to rip the bondage of what holds them back.
Amen
