Where is God when evil seems to triumph? How can we pray, what can we pray when God seems powerless? Theologians have struggled with these questions for centuries, but there are no neat answers.
During his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew , Jesus taught,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
“I have great respect for evil and become uncomfortable when we trivialize and try to domesticate it, or even turn it into entertainment via mediocre movies. Most simply put, it is manifested in consistent, conscious choices made in diametrical oposition to the God of love.
Where is God when evil seems to triumph? How can we pray, what can we pray when God seems powerless? Theologians have struggled with these questions for centuries, but there are no neat answers.
Ultimately, we are left with Job, baffled yet willing to let God be God. (Job, a Bible character who suffered multiple undeserved tragedies.-blogger’s note)
The question of evil will not go away that simply. We are supposed to be praying and, quite possibly wrestling as well- with our questions, with our doubts, with God. ”
Evil, whether in the actions of an individual or in the behavior of whole nations, is a challenge to our prayer.
Margaret Guenther
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and this passage of scripture was in one of the daily readings recently.
The book-Job
Job, a book in the Old Testament, ponders the meaning of suffering. It is not a book you would associate with Christmas, yet these words are sung in Handel’s famous musical, Messiah.
We usually hear Messiah performed at Christmas, but Handel wrote it for Easter. He drew the words of the songs from Scripture, choosing passages of comfort, peace, hope, and love, telling the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.
Handel, the composer
Georg Handel was a barber-surgeon in northern Germany in the 17th century. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe who only performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.
I’m glad his son, George did not follow his father into medicine. Instead George Frideric Handelstudied music and eventually composed his masterpiece , Messiah, first performed in 1742, and which millions of people have listened to or sang since then.
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