Re: Griffin #4

From: John W Burgeson (burgytwo@juno.com)
Date: Thu Jun 07 2001 - 16:16:19 EDT

  • Next message: george murphy: "Re: divine action/creaturely action"

    Moorad posted: "It seems to me that our understanding of human suffering
    must be viewed in light of the promises made in Scripture regarding
    eternal life. We live in a particular moment in the history of the world
    and our lifetimes are a pittance in comparison to eternity. The history
    of the world is like a book and we are living in the early chapters and
    only know the ending by revealed truth. Faith is the basis of our
    understanding of the evil in the world with death as the apex that Christ
    conquered on the cross."

    All that is true. All that is also platitudes. Try telling that to a
    survivor of the 1755 earthquake who had her whole family wiped out but
    lived because she stayed home from church that day.

    The event itself remains as one of the strongest arguments in favor of
    the position of Dawkins & Sagan.

    As a Stephen Minister, I "get to" talk with people who have had this kind
    of event happen in their lives. I know what to say -- what NOT to say
    (more important) -- speaking the very true words you posted above is
    close to the worst thing to say at grief time, BTW. I know how to listen
    -- how to grieve with them. I am well aware there is "no answer."

    Let me illustrate this by a poster I made for our Stephen ministry
    training course last fall:

    ----------------------------------------------------
    I was sitting, torn by grief.
    Someone came and talked to me of God's dealings,
    of why it happened,
    of hope beyond the grave.

    He talked constantly.

    He said things I knew were true.

    I was unmoved,
    except to wish he'd go away. He finally did.

    Another came and sat beside me.
    He didn't talk. He didn't ask me leading questions.
    He just sat beside me for an hour or more,
    listened when I said something,
    answered briefly,
    prayed simply,
    left.

    I was moved, I was comforted.
    I hated to see him go.
    ---------------------------------------------------
    Burgy (John Burgeson)

    www.burgy.50megs.com



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