On Saturday evening I received an e-mail from an unfamiliar address with the subject line simply asking, "Where is God?" I hesitantly opened the e-mail and quickly looked toward the bottom. There was no signature affixed. The note simply stated that the writer was a Catholic who had not been to church in over 30 years, and he/she wanted to know where God was when the people in Paris were being slaughtered.
Are we on the verge of World War III? Is the end of the world coming? These are questions I heard a few times over the weekend? I don't know. We are obviously experiencing a significant amount of violence and discord in our world. The end result of all of this remains to be seen. The gift of "free will" that each human being is given is not always used for the best of purposes. The writer of the anonymous e-mail stated his/her frustration that this is simply another religious war and anyone connected to religion is at fault.
As I stood outside and watched the sunrise this morning, I marveled at the glory of God's handiwork. The creation account in the Book of Genesis reminds us that all these things are good. However, turning away from God and turning toward sin brings destruction and devastation. We see it in Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and many other accounts throughout salvation history. Our individual choices have consequences. Sin hardens our hearts. Embracing sin and celebrating the moral decadence that is prevalent in our world leads to atrocities.
The answer to the e-mail writer's question is a simple one. God is here! The problem is that too many of us have stopped turning toward Him. When we as individuals, as a society, and as a world live as though God does not exist the repercussions are real. A Sociology professor I had many years ago stated, "Religion is something concocted by man to maintain order in society." Even if that statement were viewed as being true, one would think that an all-out push for more religion would be going on to get order back into society.
We will begin the Year of Mercy on December 8. Maybe we should get a head start and begin to seek God's abundant mercy now. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us!
Are we on the verge of World War III? Is the end of the world coming? These are questions I heard a few times over the weekend? I don't know. We are obviously experiencing a significant amount of violence and discord in our world. The end result of all of this remains to be seen. The gift of "free will" that each human being is given is not always used for the best of purposes. The writer of the anonymous e-mail stated his/her frustration that this is simply another religious war and anyone connected to religion is at fault.
As I stood outside and watched the sunrise this morning, I marveled at the glory of God's handiwork. The creation account in the Book of Genesis reminds us that all these things are good. However, turning away from God and turning toward sin brings destruction and devastation. We see it in Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and many other accounts throughout salvation history. Our individual choices have consequences. Sin hardens our hearts. Embracing sin and celebrating the moral decadence that is prevalent in our world leads to atrocities.
The answer to the e-mail writer's question is a simple one. God is here! The problem is that too many of us have stopped turning toward Him. When we as individuals, as a society, and as a world live as though God does not exist the repercussions are real. A Sociology professor I had many years ago stated, "Religion is something concocted by man to maintain order in society." Even if that statement were viewed as being true, one would think that an all-out push for more religion would be going on to get order back into society.
We will begin the Year of Mercy on December 8. Maybe we should get a head start and begin to seek God's abundant mercy now. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us!
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