Aug 6th, 2020: Beirut Explosion

 Lebanon: What we know about deadly Beirut explosion, in 500 words ...

I have Lebanese friends, and you can imagine that many of them have been in immense emotional turmoil and stress after the explosion on Tuesday. It is a piece of news that we don't need these days. That nation has been suffering from an economic crisis, Covid-19, regional conflicts, and more. It will be challenging to cope with the aftermath, regardless of the cause. We don't know at this present time. We only know that many people are mourning on this day. Sometimes it is just hard to understand how and what to pray as we see the suffering around the world.

Where is God in the midst of overwhelming human suffering? I know some people might have the worldview that God is an unnecessary hypothesis at this point in human history when we have made tremendous headway in our understanding of science. My submission is simple. When we have the freedom to combine both the physical and metaphysical truths of the world, we learn to see the world with a broader and deeper appreciation.

We cannot talk about suffering without mentioning evil. Evil is whatever happens outside God's desire for the world. It has many expressions, and one aspect of the evil act can intertwine with another to make it even harder to comprehend. Sometimes it has a domino effect. I see that often when I deal with substance abuse and child neglect, emotional manipulation and spousal abuse, and abuse of power and deceit. I have also seen people bullying other people in the name of God's will and righteousness. It is even more challenging when abusers are crying to be victims. So we can say that evil acts don't seem to have clear boundaries in the world today.

We know that when we take a look at what is happening around us and in the world, there is plenty of evidence of moral, natural, physical, and emotional evil. The decision I have as a Christian is not about having a full understanding of evil because I prefer to use my time to understand God. However, my comfort rests in the truth that God is not indifferent, and He identifies with us in all humans suffering from evil in the ministry of Jesus. In reality, the gift of free choice is the best gift God has given us because Jesus had to die to redeem the consequences of that choice.

So pray for the people of Beirut if you can. Let us hope that we will be able to see the mercy of God as we discover more and more about Jesus' suffering.

St. Augustine
"What is reprehensible is that while leading good lives themselves and abhorring those of wicked men, some, fearing to offend, shut their eyes to evil deeds instead of condemning them and pointing out their malice."

Isaiah 1: 16-17
"Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more