‘All is for the best in the best of possible worlds,’ said Voltaire, tongue firmly in cheek. But he was more or less paraphrasing what Paul says in Romans 8.28. We probably hear this quite often. If we ourselves find it comforting, we have to consider what others think about it. Their experience of life’s ups and downs may have convinced them that the world is not in effect arranged very well. It can certainly prove less than advantageous to those who live through earthquakes, eruptions, floods, droughts, famine, war and all the other things that can make life miserable and meaningless.
Most sensible people don’t need to have this pointed out. The raw material of life, the terms and conditions imposed by a Creator, are mulled over everywhere from mud huts to the palaces of princes and presidents. Like the weather, the unfair nature of the human scene and the catastrophes that can overwhelm communities are far from being evidence of a well-ordered homeland we can all enjoy. Hymns like ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and what is known as a prosperity gospel underline the thoughtlessness that sometimes masquerades as religious faith.
About which we may readily agree. But there is something else needing attention. It is not merely the light-hearted acceptance of such views that dismays observers. It is the casual promulgation with which these notions are put forward that can be irritating. And who can blame people for finding such betrayal of serious discussion disquieting?
Christians have been commanded to preach the Gospel to all and sundry. We have not been commanded to assert our understanding of God’s revelation of himself as a project done and dusted that nobody can fault. When we rely on assertion rather than argument, we do ourselves an injustice. We also choose arrogance rather than humility as our starting-point.
If we have found that the Christian Gospel conveys meaning and hope to us in our serious moments, we have to be considerate when we commend the faith to our friends. They may not be finding it easy to cope with misfortune. It is no light matter to ease their plight. We want the best for them. We should not rub the sore when we should bring the plaster. But we should think carefully before we offer panaceas.
HENSINGHAM STUDIES
St John’s church, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumbria has numerous study groups and participates in one- or two-year training schemes organised by the North West Gospel Partnership and the Union School of Theology. The church website is strong on pictures of its congregation. Vicar is Fergus Pearson.
KENDAL SHOPPING
Can’s cope with public transport to get the shopping done? They have an answer to this at St Thomas’s, Kendal. Every Wednesday morning transport to Morrisons and Asda is on offer – at a reasonable price. They call it Bus People.
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