This is often a question people struggle with. Some may even say it is one reason they don’t believe God exists. Surely if God exists, He would do something to fix this.
Give me a minute or two to explain this next question. Why do sick and starving children bother you?
What do you believe about sick and starving children? Why would you care about them? What part of your belief system says you are to care for them?
And your answer cannot be, “Everyone knows that it is wrong to see sick and starving children.”
Why would everyone know this? Or believe this?
If we are all here by chance, the coming together of matter and energy in such a way to bring about our existence, it seems to make more sense that we would come across people, and yes, children, in all different states of being. Some would be doing well, and yes, some would be suffering.
Timothy Keller in his book, The Reason for God, argues that the fact that circumstances such as these, seeing sick and starving children, bother you is more of a proof for God than against God.
I think Keller makes a lot of sense. Seeing sick and starving children bothers us, as it should, because as Christians, we believe things are not how they “should be.” The world was not created in the beginning by God to be this way.
The Christian faith has an explanation as to why seeing sick and starving children bothers us. Does your belief do that? Again, you cannot just say, “because.”
In the beginning, we were created in God’s image, to love as God loves. Through Adam and Eve sin comes into this world, with it suffering and death. We no longer can love as God loves.
God in His compassion continues to love us, to love you. As we trust in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are made new. Yes, God loves you. Yes, you matter to God, and you matter to the world. It is through your life the love of God is shared in this world. It is through your life, as you love as Jesus loves, lives are changed. This includes the lives of sick and starving children.
Blessings,
Pastor Matt
PS - Connecting People to Christ’s Love includes helping children in our community. We thank you for your ongoing support, making this possible. If you would like to partner with us and set up a recurring gift, please visit the giving page on our website.
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