Without God , It Is What It Is

For those who try to find meaning apart from any real ,concrete idea of God , at the end of the day all they are left with is , it is what it is. No matter what the tragedy , be it big or small , in the scheme of things it matters not. As one famous rock band said in one of their songs , why does it happen , because it happens , roll the bones. Once one reduces life to nothing more than a materialistic, naturalistic view of life  than suffering, plane crashes , death by drugs or alcohol , it is just what it is . Life is nothing more than a random bunch of played out events that we put significance to but really mean nothing. All our love,hopes,dreams,grief, sense of loss are nothing more than chemicals firing in our brain to produce emotions that we should find a way to eliminate. They are truly burdensome if life has no meaning ultimately. Its wasted time and energy.

But no one truly lives like that. We care,we love,we hope,we grieve and we feel. These emotions are remnants of being created by a God in whoms image we are made. We may try to suppress it , to deny it and rage against it but when tragedy strikes we cry out . With why would a good God allow this to happen  and others will cry ,Oh Lord  help . Both are cries of people who grasp even if they mock God , that there is more to this life than we can see.

The Bible tells us all of creation is groaning , waiting for that great day of redemption when God makes all things new when Jesus Christ comes again. The Bible also says that all things are under God's sovereign and providential control. Even calamities are not random , they serve a purpose in God's economy. We may not grasp this or want to , but we see in a mirror dimly. We cannot understand the mind of a infinite ,holy, righteous God. So often we are so caught up in the trivial . Talking about things that really have no eternal importance but when one hears of a tragedy or death or sickness calls , it takes our focus off the mundane and our brains and hearts glimpse into eternity.

What should we then say to those who do not believe when a heart breaking event occurs? We need to show bold compassionate love and point those hurting to the great healer and peace maker , Jesus Christ. It is not a time to shrink into the shadows .If we truly hold that hell is real apart from faith in Jesus Christ , at these times it should almost magnify our hunger to share the gospel and not shrink back. We will not have all the answers to those hurting or those in deep shock but we know in whom we have believed to forgive sin , reconcile us to God and  give us peace amid a sin  stained world .

As CS Lewis said , pain and suffering are God's wake up call to the brevity of life and our longing for purpose amid the world we live. We need to say , it is not what it is and say for God so loved  , you finish the rest.Nuff said.