People often ask this question after a devastating storm, a marriage that suddenly fell apart, sudden and unexpected job loss, and, other large (and smaller) catastrophies they/we experience in our lives. What comes to mind is a phrase my family often used. People who are meek and humble will say or silently pray this... "Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21) The first part of that Scripture is sort of reminiscent of the words: "Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." - the prayer said as ashes are imposed on Ash Wednesday. In other words, the Lord gave us Life and Grace - he did not initially set us up in the world with clothes, the house and the car, and items so acquired cannot be taken with us when He calls us to Himself.

There is no question that God loves us deeply. He does! We are the finest of creatures He has created, the culmination of all - he gave us intelligence and power to reason. He gave us a soul. Too bad so many have forgotten that. Many of us struggle all our lives long with Pride, and all the sins that derive from Pride. Many believe that they know better than God.

The question which is the title of this reflection is very hard to answer theologically, and I must admit that I really don't have the answer. The question can be answered another way (the non-theological answer, perhaps). When God created earth, and made the seas, the tides, the moon and the sun, and a system of clouds and other weather related influences, and he created men and women, he didn't tell the people to move into areas subject to big bad hurricanes. And, normally, when people settle in a particular place, they don't think about the danger beneath their feet and all around them - the tectonic plates of the earth and the fault line directly underneath them. People really have little influence on where they will ultimately settle, but they are attracted to areas of beauty, never realizing the dangers that lurk all around them. Likewise, we've all heard of "Tornado Alley". If not, it is a corridor in the Central United States that is particularly prone to Tornadoes, as on this little map. The area is probably even more extensive. But people still live there. In fact, thousands of people live there, even though there is the danger of tornadoes. People often take these chances because they believe in God and that God will protect them from harm. I don't think we can blame Him when something goes wrong.

People get married for better or worse, they marry each other, and sometimes these matches just aren't made in heaven. I remember a friend I was staying with who battled with his spouse one evening as if World War III was about to break out -- and, yes, that marriage didn't last either. Can we blame God for all this? I don't know how you think about that, but I can't blame God for the breakup of a marriage. He didn't cause the friction - the husband and wife are guilty of allowing their marriage to fall apart, not God.

God is not like us. He is Intelligence itself - believe me, people are not. I have made many stupid mistakes in my life, I definitely do not have unlimited wisdom, not by a long shot. In Genesis, "When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God; he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them "man." (Gen 1:1-2). So in the very beginning man was made in God's likeness, but then man fell (the Sin of Eve and Adam as they ate from the forbidden tree), and because we sinned, we are saddled with the effects of Original Sin, which is suffering and pain. The hurricane, the tornado, the failed marriage, even an earthquake: suffering, pain, and death. It isn't God's fault. Ultimately, it is our fault although one would have a tough time explaining that to one who is suffering from a natural disaster. In the end, does it matter whose fault it is? We cannot undo what has happened. We can only accept it, thank God we weren't hurt any worse, and pray for those who didn't. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Praised be Our Lord, Jesus Christ!

May He bless you and keep you safe.

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
February 17, 2010

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