We just finished a 5-week evening study at the church called The Reason for God based on the best-selling book by Timothy Keller. The series is based on many of the most common objections to Christianity such as: Hasn’t science disproved the Bible? Why would a good God allow suffering? How can you say there is only one way to God? Why have Christians often been complicit in injustice?
18 of us engaged in discussion on these topics and were hopefully better equipped to think about and speak about some of these probing topics. Plus, we got to know each other a bit better along the way.
The whole experience helps us think about old questions with fresh eyes and ears.
So today I read something that did just this—help me think about something in a new way. It was this: What if God is asking US for a sign?
So often we think the burden is on God to give people signs. But what if it was the other way around? Why is God the one with something to prove? Instead of us wondering why God isn’t dancing around proving himself to us, why aren’t we giving him signs that we are his? That we are capable of beauty and grace?
Why is the burden on him?
So often we look to God to solve things when he has already given us the wisdom, free will and example of love we need to figure it out. And yet if he doesn’t hop to it in response to our prayers we doubt his existence.
I’m reminded of the story of a man who was distraught about a friend who had lost so so much. His friend was in a time of serious crisis and required companionship, wisdom, prayer, strength. All the big stuff. In desperation for his friend, who he cared about so deeply, he looked up toward the heavens and said, “Why don’t you do anything about this?” He had never heard the voice of God before, he was not really a religious person—but that day he swore he heard a whisper back. To his question, “Why don’t you do anything about this?” he heard a response, “I did do something about this. I made you.”
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The picture above is part of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.
