John 10:19-30
19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?’ 21Others were saying, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’ 22 -->
Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews
22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,* tell us plainly.’ 25Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.* 30The Father and I are one
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Sometimes I think I'm out of my mind. One of the most common questions that is asked of a priest is "why do bad things happen to good people." It's a tough one. There's certainly things to say about humanity and original sin. Or, I talk about free will and how we choose God or not and so ourlives get messed up by the not. I can speak theologically about how God does not make bad things happen but allows them to happen and perhaps even helps us to grow from the experience. And, all of those would be theologically sound, good priestly answers...We can talk in more detail if you want.
The thing is the priestly answer doesn't always make us feel better. Sometimes I think I am crazy for believing in God when I look at the problems of the world. Sometimes it is difficult to see God in the messiness of my own life. But, then when life gets messy enough to think this is too messy where else would I turn but to God. Logical or not...I believe. Not because I've witnessed big miracles like the healing of the blind. Not because I've lived a perfect life always walking with God. I believe because of the small miracles...I wake each day and I breath, I listen to peoples stories and I hear how God is working. I notice how God seems to be working in the big picture if sometimes missing in the details. I believe not because life is perfect, but because when life's not perfect I know where I want to go.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is allow God to guide us. I happen to be a Type A, and it is soooo hard to give up control. I have found (only recently) that when the whole world is closing in on you, and you feel that you are losing control - if you ask for help, it will be given. The lesson I learned was related to the adoption of my daughter - I felt powerless and that made me feel crazy and angry. I asked for help - the good news I got it, the bad news - not the way I would have expected. (I suspect that many people pray with an expected outcome in mind and we often miss the fact that our prayers are answered since the answer does not take on the form we expected). The adoption process plodded along, slowly and 100% out of my power to influence, but I was give the grace of patience, a gift I sorely needed - or maybe a gift I had and never recognized. This gave me the odd (it felt odd to me) ability to give up my worry to God about the process and simply wait. When this happened I had a sense of peace that let me know that something changed. This is where you cross the head/intellectual line and use your heart/belief.
I now have my beautiful daughter (this part of the wait was about 9 months) and boy did that patience come in handy when she joined our family. I could certainly use some more.
I think that when bad things happen, we still struggle with the same issues we have seen throughout time, trying with our limited (human) understanding to explain things that are beyond our ability to understand, let alone explain. I liken it to when man tried to explain thunder or volcanoes and other natural happenings or disasters that we now explain with science - although I am not sure we will ever understand some of these issues in this lifetime.
I have seen that when bad things happen, (from a health care worker prospective) some people are blessed to be able to respond with grace and understanding that is beyond my comprehension. Children and those who are dying in particular often have the ability to elucidate* issues that would never even occur to most of us. *I chose this word specifically because it can mean illuminate and I think that we are lucky to glimpse the Light that shines through these individuals as they are able to see things not yet visible to the rest of us.
Sorry if this is a bit long and philosophical, it just flowed so naturally. Maybe we are all just a bit “out of our mind”. ;-)
Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a very common question isn't it? I think one of the reasons it gets asked so often is that we are never really fulfilled by the answers that we give...or get. I think that is because we are asking the wrong question.
Bad things happen to good people, because bad things happen, and ALL people are GOOD. So who else could they happen to?
We get caught up in this question and we are blinded to the belief system that underlies the question.The question itself infers that some of us are good- and some of us are bad. And if bad things happen to the 'bad guys' well, that's okay. The question further implies that we know who is 'good' and who is 'bad'. We don't like to admit it, but we just keep eating that apple over and over again:)
We are often so close to our own misperceptions that they prevent us from grasping the true teachings of Jesus.
Faith is believing in what we cannot see. Sometimes. And faith is believing in what we DO see. Sometimes. Wisdom is knowing what is Real so that our faith and belief do not change with what is seen or unseen. They remain constant.
A belief is something that we place our confidence and trust in. Our beliefs are also what create our thoughts and our actions every day. Unfortunately the highest percentage of our beliefs reside in our subconscious and not our conscious mind. So without bringing those beliefs into conscious 'wise mind' we think and act by auto pilot.And what if those beliefs are based, not on Truth and Reality, but on worldly illusions?
A good tree cannot bring forth bad fruit. I believe that God is Love-Perfect Love-Perfect Wisdom-Perfect Goodness-Perfect Loyalty etc. God is a good tree!
And I believe that in the beginning all that existed was God...so how could perfect goodness create anything that was not of the same intrinsic nature? That image of God's love in which we were all created lies at the core of every soul.( and all creation for that matter) Whether I can see it or not.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because we keep believing that they will.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that sickness, disease, war, hunger, pain, and so many other atrocities and grievous things don't exist. They certainly do.
But I agree wholeheartedly with Mary Baker Eddy ( the founder of Christian Science) who states:
" The damage done by the illusion is real. The damage needs to be repaired. This damage cannot be repaired by denying its existence, but only by dispelling the illusion that created it in the first place."
In this particular case she is speaking of disease and illness. But the principle is the same for any form of "evil". It is humanity's belief in it that keeps it alive. Since the original Fall we have created an incredible Gordian Knot of chaos and confusion where it is simply impossible to untie the knot. We need to somehow find the courage to simply cut through it.The lie cannot live in the full light of Truth.
I find this teaching incredibly simple. I find this teaching incredibly liberating. I find this teaching incredibly logical. I find this teaching...incredibly difficult to manifest in daily life.
But I honestly don't believe that 'evil' is a part of God's Kingdom and I DO want that Kingdom to come. So it seems worth falling down for, and getting up again, no matter how often.
We look at Jesus' ministry and example and call the things he did miracles. For many people this means Divine intervention. Something unavailable to us mere mortals. But, here also, I like the definition used in Christian Science. A miracle is " a divinely natural occurrence that must be learned by humanity.
Jesus told us we could do these things and more...if we believed.
Jesus believed in God's Reality and simply did not buy the lies-the illusions created by human precepts
Jesus believed there was enough food for everyone...and there was.
Jesus believed that people were healthy and whole...and they were.
Jesus believed in a spiritual body that could walk on water and through walls...and it did.
Jesus believed he was a true steward of all nature with the authority to calm the wind...and he did.
Jesus believed there was no difference between healing infirmities and forgiving sins...and there wasn't.
Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see"
Jesus was. We can be too.
Lord I believe. Please help me with my disbelief.
What you write, Phyllis, reminds me of something that Marianne Williamson (author of A Course in Miracles) says:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
As the song says, This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...:)
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