Choughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 4, 3 September 1943, Page 2

Choughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Wliakatone Ministers' Association).

WHY DOESN'T GOD DO SOMETHING ?" By Key. Harold L. Proppe (Hollywood) From I lu» lips of countless I lionssands llieri' lias conic the question, "Why Doesn't God Do Something?" It lias been asked both by Christians and non-Christians. It is not a new question but rather a very old one. In every crisis, in every emergency, men have asked it. In the time of national crisis Habbakivk asked, "Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and boldest thy tongue?' David in one of his Psalms erics, "O Lord, how long wilt them look on?" Those who ask this question knowingly or unknowingly admit three (f not four facts: First —That there, is a Cod. at the centre of the Universe, at the control of affairs who is able to do some-tiling, if there is not why ask the question? Without Cod there would be no problem. A denial of Cod does not. answer the question. Second —Since there is a Cod He has an interest and is interested in man. If Cod is not interested wliv cxpect His intervention? Wherever men believe in a Cod the implication is that He is interested in what is going on in the lives of human beings. Third—Since there is a Cod and' He is interested, He must have the ability and power to do something. There is no question in any man's mind that God, if He saw fit, in His infinite Avisdom could stop this present war. Fourth—Since there is, a God, and He is interested, and has the ability, He ought to do something, that there are objectives, ideals, and values in the universe which should move (Hod to act. If not, then why ask, "Why Doesn't God Do Something?" What reasons have we to assume that Cod ought to do something? Is God under obligation to man? Who caused this present world trouble? Who stirred it up? What nation, what people, are so upright, no righteous, so obedient to God's laws as to merit God's help? Then just how should Cod. do .something? What is it we want Coil to do? Ju lgc the wrong and vindicate the right? Surely this is the on'y form God's action or judgment should, take? But our problem isn't as simple as all that. Where for instance should God begin Lo judge

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

wrong and vindicate, right? Are not all the nations guilty? What about social crimes within each nation ? What about slavery, liquor trail' e, while slavery, opium manufacturing and gangsters? What about our own individual sins? Surely tue silence and. non-action of God is an indication of mercy and grace rather than unconcern. From some incidents in the history of man. where God has taken a hand, we may learn something of what His intervention may mean. Ijn Noah's day when the wickedness of man became great God did do something. When men allied themselves together at Babel to build a tower to Heaven God did do something. If and when God .should, step in now anil do something, who would escape? God being what He is in the sum totality of His character, and man having been made a free moral agent, if God. should force something upon men which man iV.il not desire, then who would assume the blame? Shall God force men to live righteously against man's own will? Shall God, without changing man's nature, compel man to live a good life? If so, then God would destroy in man the one distinguishing characteristic wh'lch sets man apart from all of Coil's other creations —that of free moral agcncy and independent will. Man would be reduced to a mere machine. Wc would have a wo fill full of mere puppet-men. Ignatius Loyola, the Spanish founder of the Society ol Jesus, demanded from his. blackrobed militia obedience to the General of the Order so complete that they were to be "just like a corpse or "a staff in a blind man's hand." Such a regiment made by a man is, of course, the crushing of the will, and the emasculation of the whole nature. It is not enough for men to be good but man must choose good. Now, should God intervene, would that intervention prove effective? Will nations learn God's ways and walk in His .statutes and laws? Look at the History of Israel! How many times did God do something for them? Did it make them more obedient? More righteous? In 1918 victory came to the Allies, but. did the victorious nations turn to God and clean up their social sins and put an end to all injustices? If we will look at world conditions in the light of- the Bible wc will see that God not only has done something about evil but is doing something to-day.