The New Year countdown was tempered with a more sombre, serious mood in the wake of the tsunami tragedy. Some UM Students and the Agora met up at Leon's house for a time of makan, reflections and sharing.
Reminds me of an old Egyptian custom... At the end of a party, the servants would parade a coffin before the Pharoah to remind him of death and moderation. What a way to be a party-pooper!
We had a round of sharing about our spiritual journey as well as trying to make sense of the 'natural evil' that is the tsunami. All in all, it was a good time of fellowship.
I received some 'prophecy' email today, blaming it on Satanic attack, and God is somehow far-away unable to help...
But if we look at the case of Job, the bible reveals that even though Satan is involved for his own evil schemes to destroy Job... God is not helpless... ultimately He's still sovereign and at least, allowed Satan to afflict Job.
Satan is on a leash. His power is not absolute. God's power is. That's what makes evil a problem.
NT Wright listed some inadequate 'answers'
1) Evil isn't as bad as it seems... Someone told me that the tsunami looks bad because we're looking at the half-empty glass. If we look at it as half-full, it ain't so bad after all? Or worse, some would claim that evil is an illusion!
2) it's all someone's fault (or, with natural evil, Satan's fault)
Ably expounded in those 'prophecies' but ultimately doesn't explain why God, at least, permitted it.
3) it is the occassion for greater good (courage, repentance, freewill, God's glory etc)
This answer has more biblical warrant as in Joseph's case - his brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good to save many lives from famine.
Ultimately all Christian 'response to the problem of evil' falls into this category, unless of course, if we say "I dunno". Which I think is a good one, if you put it nicely in the right context.
NT Wright's take, as i understand it, is this:
We must take evil seriously and not explain it away with shallow analysis. God has done something to reverse evil. He came to take its fury upon himself. And involves us who is part of the problem in this process of reversal.
A full Christian account has to include Christ and the cross.
(I'd probably take a combination of the great reversal and the greater good.)
However, none of these answers (perhaps not even Wright's own) help a person who is undergoing the suffering. They may help us before or after going into trials... to make some sense out of pain. The best thing we can do is probably to do all we can to practically help, by any means we can.
http://theagora.blogspot.com
Reminds me of an old Egyptian custom... At the end of a party, the servants would parade a coffin before the Pharoah to remind him of death and moderation. What a way to be a party-pooper!
We had a round of sharing about our spiritual journey as well as trying to make sense of the 'natural evil' that is the tsunami. All in all, it was a good time of fellowship.
I received some 'prophecy' email today, blaming it on Satanic attack, and God is somehow far-away unable to help...
But if we look at the case of Job, the bible reveals that even though Satan is involved for his own evil schemes to destroy Job... God is not helpless... ultimately He's still sovereign and at least, allowed Satan to afflict Job.
Satan is on a leash. His power is not absolute. God's power is. That's what makes evil a problem.
NT Wright listed some inadequate 'answers'
1) Evil isn't as bad as it seems... Someone told me that the tsunami looks bad because we're looking at the half-empty glass. If we look at it as half-full, it ain't so bad after all? Or worse, some would claim that evil is an illusion!
2) it's all someone's fault (or, with natural evil, Satan's fault)
Ably expounded in those 'prophecies' but ultimately doesn't explain why God, at least, permitted it.
3) it is the occassion for greater good (courage, repentance, freewill, God's glory etc)
This answer has more biblical warrant as in Joseph's case - his brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good to save many lives from famine.
Ultimately all Christian 'response to the problem of evil' falls into this category, unless of course, if we say "I dunno". Which I think is a good one, if you put it nicely in the right context.
NT Wright's take, as i understand it, is this:
We must take evil seriously and not explain it away with shallow analysis. God has done something to reverse evil. He came to take its fury upon himself. And involves us who is part of the problem in this process of reversal.
A full Christian account has to include Christ and the cross.
(I'd probably take a combination of the great reversal and the greater good.)
However, none of these answers (perhaps not even Wright's own) help a person who is undergoing the suffering. They may help us before or after going into trials... to make some sense out of pain. The best thing we can do is probably to do all we can to practically help, by any means we can.
http://theagora.blogspot.com
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