Still Quarrying: God On Our Side?

A letter appeared in The Times last Saturday with the headline ‘Trump and God’:

 

Sir, Donald Trump says that he survived the assassination attempt because God was on his side.  One can only wonder what he thinks God had against Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed.

 

                                                                    Ron Jacobs, Farnham, Surrey.

 

It’s one of those questions which in the end will have to be consigned to that file marked ‘mystery’.  And that to many people would be the eternal Christian cop-out.  We can’t give a straight answer to the question so we retreat into that area which may be satisfying for us but doesn’t begin to address the problem raised by the challenger.   So why wander into this area that can only lead to a dead-end?  The fact is that Mr Jacobs’ letter highlights part of the problem that holds people back from faith. Christians present God as all-knowing, all-powerful, all loving in His management of the Universe He has created.  But there are too many inconsistences, contradictions and challenges to reason in this that could lead anyone to believe that He is managing the Universe well.  

 

I do not have the answer to the question, but I believe that it is a discussion worth having.  Let’s start with Donald Trump and his belief that his survival from the assassin’s bullet is evidence of divine intervention and, moreover, indicates that God is on his side.  Let’s be clear, it was a remarkable survival.  The more you see the video footage the more you realise he was a fraction of an inch away from death.  But can this truly be taken as evidence of God’s particular favour to Donald Trump?  

 

On of the Psalmist’s struggles with God is that he apparently blesses the lives of the ‘wicked’.  This is expressed in Psalm 73:

They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. (vv. 4-5)

 

Compare this to the experience of the man who seeks to live according to God’s ways:

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. (vv. 13-14)

 

Eventually in the Temple the Psalmist has an experience of God which reassures him of His presence and His justice.  The point being that a pain free, problem free life is not necessarily a mark of God’s favour.  Even when it comes to remarkable deliverance from danger and death.  History shows that the worst of rulers have not fallen when attempts have been made on their lives.  So, Trump should be careful when claiming that God is on his side - as anyone should in making this claim.

 

I am grateful to blogger Moses Falco in drawing my attention to an encounter Joshua had with a celestial being before the battle for Jericho:

 

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.  Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’  ‘Neither’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’  The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take of your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’  And Joshua did so.  (Joshua 5: 13-15)

 

The message is when we think of God, we should never think of him taking sides.  Our first response is always to worship Him and bow to His will.  Which side are we on?

 

A word about Corey Comperatore.  He was killed while seeking to shield his family from the assassin’s bullets.  At the heart of the story of Jesus there is sacrifice, the ultimate expression of God’s love for humankind: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only son . . .’ (John 3: 16).  Those who follow Jesus are called to follow in his steps and consider others to be more important that themselves.  (1 Peter 2: 21).   In other words, to live sacrificial lives.  Jesus said: ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ (John 15: 13)

 

We have seen this in Corey Comperatore.  Sacrifice is the supreme expression of true humanity.   Corey made no claims for himself but acted in a way that is in line with God’s will for His people.

 

I started with ‘mystery’ and there it must end.  But when the God I worship is revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus I reckon it to be worthwhile hanging on in faith with all my questions and inadequate understanding.  A friend who has struggled with chronic illness for many years recently shared this prayer on Facebook:

 

‘God, I have no idea what you are doing, but I trust you.’  

Still Quarrying: Go Deep!

 Let’s get one thing straight: I have never warmed to Donald Trump.  Which is a polite way of saying I don’t like him, his style, what he stands for. This has led me to think and say things about him that I have believed are justified, placing them in the category of ’righteous anger’.  But somehow those words and the thoughts and feelings that gave them birth don’t leave me feeling good about myself.  

It's what goes on in a person’s inner life that Jesus is mostly concerned about in that block of teaching that has come to be known as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’.  I have heard this described as ‘a blueprint for living.’  The world would be a better place if we put the Sermon on the Mount into practise. What is often missed is that the qualities and standards of Jesus’ teaching can only become a reality in the lives of men and women by the grace of God.  What is emphasised in Jesus’ teaching is the inner life, and this can only be transformed towards His qualities and standards, indeed His likeness, by the influence of the Holy Spirit.  

Jesus says:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

 

 “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell”. (Matthew 5: 21-22)

 

He is not seeking to enter the endless debates of his time as to the exact meaning of the sixth commandment.  He is calling people back to the original intention of the Jewish Law which is the inner transformation of men and women such that they walk closer to God and are mindful of those who share their progress through life.  Jesus cuts through the debates and exposes the core purpose of the Law: ‘Love God and love your neighbour.’  

 

What is startling about this teaching is that it leaves no room for surface politeness and phony tolerance in relation to others.  What do we really feel?  It is our inner being which matters.  It is there that the anger, curses and contempt boil and erupt in harmful words, broken relationships and sometimes physical harm.   Jesus said:

 

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of ther evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”  (Luke 6: 45)

 

We cannot escape Jesus’ declaration that there is such a thing as spiritual murder.  

 

Which brings me back to Donald Trump.  I have never met him.  He has never said or done anything to harm me personally.  But he has stirred up negative thoughts and feelings within me that lead me to Jesus’ teaching and the inescapable challenge of spiritual murder.  Those thoughts and feelings, how are they regarded from the standpoint of eternity?  Am I any better than the would-be assassin? I am clear that there is such a thing as ‘righteous anger’ when directed against exploitation, torture, slavery and anything else that deepens the darkness in the world.  But too often that ‘righteous anger’ has been an excuse, leading to no good for the victims, doing nothing to bring the perpetrators to account, settling in my inner being as the luxury of the armchair pundit.  

 

The way forward when faced with someone whose views and attitudes we deplore is not just to shout at the wireless or the television which in the end changes nothing.  Be sure of what is wrong in what he/she stands for, argue your case, work and pray to perceive what is right and just from the standpoint of eternity.  Remember, followers of Jesus are called to go deep.