Sunday, January 21, 2007

To Tell You The Truth

Looking back at the news of the last couple of weeks, I am reminded of the recovery of the 2 young boys that had been abducted in Missouri. One had been missing for several days, another for a few years. Something that's impossible to grasp, unless it has happened to you or yours. A terrifying experience at the very least for one family and purely devastating for another that lived years without knowing the whereabouts of their son...or if he was dead or alive. They have had years stolen from them.

When discussing these events with my very close friend, who lives near the area where the last young boy was abducted, he made memtion of a comment by one of the local churches. The comment was, "the recovery of these boys is proof that God still answers prayer".

My friend, when describing this very common train of thought among many Christians as "vile" and "vulgar", was moved to anger. "What about", he asked, "the prayers for the children who haven't come home? Some of those children most assuredly have parents who are more righteous and prayed more fervently than the parents of these boys and their children are gone, probably forever. Others, are certainly not as righteous as the parents of the boys in the news and their children have been brought back to them...or moreover have never been taken at all". Statements such as the one made by that church, prove nothing but the lack of understanding, stupidity and/or arrogance of the people who make such comments. One cannot possibly say with any certainty, that whether God answers prayer or not, has anything to do with the recovery of these boys. We haven't even discussed the harm that more probably than possibly came to these young ones while being held captive. The extent of that damage has yet to be determined. Did the prayers not work until after a certain period of time? Or until after a certain amount of suffering was endured by the boys or their parents? Was all this to happen in God's own time? To be a proponent of such ideas as truth is vile and vulgar indeed.

God is God and there is only one.
God is truth...He created it.
God is the Lawgiver.
We as a people, society and nation, are to abide by the Laws.
People can and do break these Laws, causing at times, untold harm to themselves and many times, others that were just simply in their path.
Christ redeems us when we confess, believe, repent and change our lives. He provides a "bridge back to God...or to righteousness. Personally, I don't think we have a complete understanding of the extent of what this means.
On that note, we who identify ourselves Christian people, nor anyone else, have not arrived at "all knowledge" or "complete understanding".
If we don't have understanding on an issue, then we have the opportunity and at times the responsibility to go on a quest for the truth. To pursue the answers as doggedly as finding out if the earth was flat or round. And remember that vocal proponents of a "round world" were at times murdered by the firm "flat world" believers for doing what? Telling the truth.

-The Arkanblogger

3 comments:

Paul Bolls said...

Hello Arkanblogger, sorry I haven't visited your site in awhile. Hope you and family can come to Ol Mizzou in March or April.

There was an article in today's paper about the families involved in this case. It covered how they are all taking different approaches to life after the event. The family of the boy missing for four years is making a lot more media appearances. Apparently instead of just letting their grief envelope them, his parents started a foundation to help find missing children not long after their son was abducted. This is a great example of individuals working for positive through what I can only imagine to be the worst kind of grief. The family of the boy who was missing for a few days is understandably avoiding the media and just trying to get back to their life. The boy who provided the tip that broke the case has become a bit of a celebrity. He was given a Dodge pickup and this week was given backstage passses to see Larry the Cable Guy at his Columbia show. Your blog raises great points. I would add that rather than wonder about "righteousness" and whether or not it prevents suffering the way these families are coping illustrates three "truths" about "goodness." 1. true faith is doing good in the face of evil.
2. sometimes doing good requires withdrawing to yourself
3. sometimes doing good does indeed yeild concrete rewards:)

Finally I love the title of your post because a "know it all" usually ends up being a "know nothing of true importance." This certainly applies to mad scientists like me:)

Love,
Uncle Mad

Jimmie Lee Jarvis said...

Fantastic post. I think I'll stick around here, this looks pretty fun.

arnewman said...

Dear Arkanblogger family,
As per Caitlin's request, yes, if you like, you can add my blog to your list. I will add yours as soon as I can figure out how to add more.
I am just surprised that anyone would want to read mine!
Love to you all,
Arkworshippastor