during the past week, i've seen a couple of things on tv that struck me as ridiculous. the first was a news report in which some people survived when a delivery truck careened over an ice-covered highway and overturned near where they had pulled off the road. as the truck skidded toward them, they took cover in a ditch in exactly the place where the truck finally came to rest on its side. these lucky people were left largely unharmed because of the way the truck came to rest, trapping them in the ditch without the truck descending into the ditch. in an interview a few days later, one of those who lived to tell the tale said that in this event god had been watching out for them.
earlier that week we had watched a movie about a toy shop owner who had been forced out of business by the ruthless owner of a larger toy store that had opened across the street. the owner of the larger store gloated over his business prowess that had caused the demise of the smaller store. the out-of-business shop owner told his wife, who was expecting their first child, that god would provide for him. he stayed at home for months, presumably supporting the family with savings they had put aside, unable to find work until he had an inspiration for a new children's board game that he was able to bring to market with the help of a large manufacturer. soon he was able to reopen his store, as the larger store was failing due to people discovering the true nature of its owner and refusing to shop there any longer. as the christian store owner watched his rival suffer, he decided to make him a gift of three hundred thousand dollars to keep his business afloat. the man's generosity caused the unscrupulous businessman to do an about face, convert to christianity, and become business partners with his benefactor.
as i thought about these two things, one a true-life report of what could have been a disaster for its victims, the other a fictional story with an unbelievable plot intended to convince its viewers that faith in god will solve every problem, i found myself wondering how anyone could believe what was being told. after the news report about the people who were left unscathed after the accident, i turned to my wife and said that if god were really watching out for those who took shelter in the ditch, the accident would never have happened, they either wouldn't have been in that place when the truck skidded and overturned or the truck would have managed to avoid skidding off the road in the first place. i'm glad that there were no serious injuries as a result of this accident, but luck was on their side, not god.
as the christian toy store owner summarized the events of the fictional story, he told those watching that god had caused his business to fail, so that he could invent a new game that enriched him enabling him to give a large gift to his competitor, which then caused the hard-hearted businessman to examine his life and convert to christianity. all of this was a part of "god's plan." what a conniving god he must worship! this god made him fail and his family to suffer through month's of worry as they watched their savings vanish in order to bring a heartless rival "back into the fold." i'm afraid i don't want to worship such a god.
may we see that the events of life are not being controlled by god but that our lives are in our own hands. just as the bad things that happen to us are not allowed to happen because of god's indifference, neither are the good things the result of god's machinations. we must take responsibility for ourselves. when we are generous and compassionate, we can be a blessing to others, not because we are being manipulated to do so by god but because it is the right thing to do. may we be grateful that we have the freedom to accept life on its own terms and make the best of it. shalom.
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