Tag Archives: theodicy

The Irrational Christian

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Second Sunday in Lent (Mark 8:31-38)  03/01/2015

Earlier this week I was attending a gathering with my clergy colleagues. We met at a church located close to a college campus and the topic of young adults and faith came up in our conversation. Someone shared the observation that a number of college students who regularly attend worship services and claim that the practice of their Christian faith is important in their lives had been questioned by their peers for their faith in God; often challenged for their faith and devotion…behavior deemed to be irrational. Irrational…meaning one exhibiting behavior that lacks normal mental clarity, reason or understanding. As I listened to my clergy colleague tell this story that placed such a great value on reason and understanding, I was reminded of a recent interview on an Irish TV show called, “The Meaning of Life,” hosted by Gay Byrne. The guest of the show was Stephen Fry, (well-known actor, author, and atheist), and Byrne asked him, “[I know that you do not believe in God, but] suppose it’s all true, and you walk up to the pearly gates, and are confronted by God. What will you say?” Fry responded, “I would say this: How dare you? How dare you create a world to which there is such misery that is not our fault. It’s not right, it’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain. That’s what I would say.” Fry’s words are quite strong and perhaps a bit unedited toward the One we believe is holy and almighty, and perhaps like the host of the show your jaw has dropped a bit from its normal resting place. Continue reading →

“In the midst of change, all things are being made new”

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Pentecost 19 (Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12)  10/07/2012

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A few days ago the morning paper provided a map of the coming fall colors, with the peak times for each section of southern New England. The map reminded me that we are in the midst of change; the change from summer to fall. But change in our lives is certainly not limited to the seasons or to the colors of the leaves on the trees. This weekend we observe Columbus Day, a curious holiday celebrating the “discovery” of a land that had been inhabited for thousands of years. But regardless of how one might define discovery, Columbus’ voyage certainly marked the beginning of significant change for both Native Americans and Europeans alike. And this morning we remember St. Francis and his abundant love for every part of God’s creation. This year we remember that all creatures are blessed by God’s love and grace by bringing our beloved pets to church for a blessing during the morning service. We are truly surrounded by change! Some of these changes are expected and beautiful (like the fall colors of the leaves); some of these changes are fun and exciting or perhaps a little peculiar (like pets in the church nave); and some of these changes create lifelong and historic alterations to the way we live our lives (like Europeans arriving on the shores of the Americas). Change can be exciting; change can be unsettling; change can leave us bothered and bewildered. Change comes in many varieties and in many colors; every change is not always beneficial but change often marks the path of progress; change points toward the road that leads us to discover new things, new realities, and new ways of being. Continue reading →

“The difficult pilgrim road – from where is our help to come?”

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Second Sunday in Lent (Psalm 121)  03/20/2011

Several weeks ago, the rising protests in many countries of the Middle East and North Africa captured our attention; and our attention deserves to remain focused on these important events because the results of these protests will shape world history for many years to come. The protests of the people, although surprising in their rapid escalation, were not altogether surprising after years of suffering from poverty and many forms of government abuses. Farther to the East, well beyond this region of political turmoil, we have recently seen events unfolding in Japan that the word “surprising” does not do justice to describe the situation. The earthquake, tsunami, fires, nuclear accidents, and the biting chill of winter weather have all visited destruction upon the people of Japan so completely that the human language is unable to adequately capture the scene. Archbishop Nathaniel Uematsu, Anglican Primate of Japan, recently made this observation in a letter he released: the Archbishop wrote, “The stories and images constantly broadcast by the media have left people lost for words, unable to describe the sheer scale of the unbelievable destruction caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and fires.”[i] As I read the Archbishop’s letter and watched the dramatic images of the events unfolding in Northern Japan throughout this past week, I was reminded of the story of Job, one of the earliest biblical stories of complete and unexplainable loss. Continue reading →