What should Christianas think about God’s goodness?
Is God good?
As a Christian, I know I'm supposed to say yes. The Bible says He is good. In fact, the Bible says He is love. What could be better?
And yet...who among us has NOT wrestled with this question?
We see examples all day every day (if you check the news all day every day) of evil running amok. If God is good, why does He allow this?
Does He allow this?
That's one of the other questions that gets tossed about. Maybe He's not in direct control of evil, perhaps He allows His creation the freedom to experiment and evil is a consequence of that experimentation. Perhaps there is simply a chaotic element to God's creation. To me, this just seems to be side-stepping the question: If we take for granted God has the power and the capacity to prevent or change things, then why aren't things better? And since things aren't better...what assumptions do we draw about a God who is, at times, willing to stand back when He could, frankly, do more.
I don't have the answer to any of these questions. I don't know what God allows. I don't know what actions God is taking (or avoiding). I don't know if God is good, for that matter. I simply trust that He is.
In this day and age, we "deconstruct" everything. We question everything. We tear apart every assumption we've ever made about anything. We assume old ways are always the wrong ways and new ways are always the best ways.
We deconstruct faith, conceptions of God, philosophy, identity, and so on and so on. On cooking shows you'll see chefs deconstruct the burrito. Why mess with perfection, says I.
There's a plus side to all this- we're no longer a culture of people who take things for granted. We want evidence that things are the way people tell us they are. There's also a downside- we're endlessly skeptical. I can almost hear someone say, "Is God good? Well, I'd like to see the proof."
There isn't proof, per se. And so that leaves us at a crossroads: Will we believe...or not? And if we do believe, on the basis of what?
We are no longer a people who take scripture at its word...but that used to be how things worked. Now, I am again of two minds on this. I think questioning scripture and God are good and healthy things to do. In fact, we see in Psalms and Lamentations a roadmap for questioning God, voicing anger, disappointment, and so on. My other mind wonders, Have we thrown the baby out with the bathwater?
It is also good, in my opinion, to take scripture at its word, to trust that it says something true about God, His people, and a life of faith. So when scripture repeatedly tells me that God is good, I try to believe it. Notice I say, "try." It isn't always easy to do so. It takes effort. I have my doubts, at times. In spite of that, I believe it's important to believe- even when we have our doubts.
And so, for that reason, although it's not much of a reason, I believe that God is good. Not because I have all the evidence. Not because I've reasoned or logic'ed it out. But simply because, for me, this is yet another act of faith. Whether or not you want to take a similar leap of faith is entirely up to you. While you think about it, I'll leave you with one of scripture's reminders:
One generation will praise your works to the next one, proclaiming your mighty acts. They will talk all about the glorious splendor of your majesty; I will contemplate your wondrous works. They will speak of the power of your awesome deeds; I will declare your great accomplishments. They will rave in celebration of your abundant goodness; they will shout joyfully about your righteousness: “The Lord is merciful and compassionate, very patient, and full of faithful love. The Lord is good to everyone and everything; God’s compassion extends to all his handiwork!” Psalms 145:5-9, CEB
