god talk
god talk: communicating what God is doing here and now; it usually involves phrases like "I'm blessed" or "God found favor with me"
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People a lot smarter and more capable than I have pontificated on the role of God in our world. There are folks out there who are more eloquent than I at communicating their understanding of the way God moves today. So you'll have to forgive me if this is a bit rough around the edges. (This, of course, is an ominous way of beginning a discussion on God's work in this world and gives me an out at any point. Don't think for a minute I won't employ some kind of excuse like, "Hey! What the heck do I know!? I'm just a young 33 year old!")
I said in my most recent post that I can't, with genuineness, say something to the effect of, "God knew about Ira and knew that we needed to be in NYC at one of America's best Children's hospitals so that Ira would have a higher chance at survival. Boy, are we blessed!" I have a problem saying that because the immediate implication is that the family and CDH baby in Rural Area, USA was not blessed because they couldn't pick up and move to NYC. If I'm the father of the family in Rural Area, USA whose CDH baby doesn't survive because of inadequate medical care and I read the blog of some father whose CDH baby does survive because of the best technology and the best doctors and that father says something like the above then my reaction is one of anger, confusion and grief. I might, if I were the father of the family in Rural Area, USA, offer the benefit of the doubt and wave it off as insensitive talk but there would still be confusion at the heart of it all.
In other words, there's always a flip side. If one says, "I'm bessed!" or, "I've found favor with God!" then the implication is that one in a similar position is not blessed or has not found favor with God. Theologically speaking this is problematic. The Old Testament witness certainly gives examples of this kind of thinking and believing (God blesses some and not others) but with Jesus comes a new way of thinking about how God moves and works. It seems to me that Jesus is an equal opportunity kind of Messiah who wants and then does save the whole world. (See, the more I type the more I'm getting in over my head.)
And for this reason, Laura and I are extremely cautious about how we talk about God's work in this world. In all honesty, we probably err of the side of being too cautious as we sometimes turn our faces away from God's apparent work in this world so as to not have to interpret what's going on. As you can imagine this isn't so great as one who gets up every Sunday and professes to say the things of God but I've found a place within the Good News to proclaim what I hope for and encourage us to reach for that hope. But I'm not completely satisfied with preaching only in this way. I want to get back to a place where I can see the things of God now because it is true that he has come and his kingdom is here. (It isn't here in its complete form but it is here.) So I want to get back to a place where I'm comfortable with what I call God Talk. But I want to do so in a way that is genuine and honest and sensitive. Does that make sense?
So how do you make sense of God Talk?
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People a lot smarter and more capable than I have pontificated on the role of God in our world. There are folks out there who are more eloquent than I at communicating their understanding of the way God moves today. So you'll have to forgive me if this is a bit rough around the edges. (This, of course, is an ominous way of beginning a discussion on God's work in this world and gives me an out at any point. Don't think for a minute I won't employ some kind of excuse like, "Hey! What the heck do I know!? I'm just a young 33 year old!")
I said in my most recent post that I can't, with genuineness, say something to the effect of, "God knew about Ira and knew that we needed to be in NYC at one of America's best Children's hospitals so that Ira would have a higher chance at survival. Boy, are we blessed!" I have a problem saying that because the immediate implication is that the family and CDH baby in Rural Area, USA was not blessed because they couldn't pick up and move to NYC. If I'm the father of the family in Rural Area, USA whose CDH baby doesn't survive because of inadequate medical care and I read the blog of some father whose CDH baby does survive because of the best technology and the best doctors and that father says something like the above then my reaction is one of anger, confusion and grief. I might, if I were the father of the family in Rural Area, USA, offer the benefit of the doubt and wave it off as insensitive talk but there would still be confusion at the heart of it all.
In other words, there's always a flip side. If one says, "I'm bessed!" or, "I've found favor with God!" then the implication is that one in a similar position is not blessed or has not found favor with God. Theologically speaking this is problematic. The Old Testament witness certainly gives examples of this kind of thinking and believing (God blesses some and not others) but with Jesus comes a new way of thinking about how God moves and works. It seems to me that Jesus is an equal opportunity kind of Messiah who wants and then does save the whole world. (See, the more I type the more I'm getting in over my head.)
And for this reason, Laura and I are extremely cautious about how we talk about God's work in this world. In all honesty, we probably err of the side of being too cautious as we sometimes turn our faces away from God's apparent work in this world so as to not have to interpret what's going on. As you can imagine this isn't so great as one who gets up every Sunday and professes to say the things of God but I've found a place within the Good News to proclaim what I hope for and encourage us to reach for that hope. But I'm not completely satisfied with preaching only in this way. I want to get back to a place where I can see the things of God now because it is true that he has come and his kingdom is here. (It isn't here in its complete form but it is here.) So I want to get back to a place where I'm comfortable with what I call God Talk. But I want to do so in a way that is genuine and honest and sensitive. Does that make sense?
So how do you make sense of God Talk?
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posted by jch at
9:19 AM
5 Comments:
This is so hard. We often pray for healing, and when this person is cured, and that person isn't.... well, sometimes it feels wrong to praise God for the healed ones, while the mourning ones weep. But the fact remains that God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good. There's some "God talk" for ya. It's cliche, but really.... oh so true!
We don't have to understand His ways to believe that. Did God send you to NYC because He knew Ira was coming? I dunno. All you can do is praise Him NOW, that He led you there then. It doesn't mean that the Dad in Rural USA hasn't found favor with God. I don't believe that any more than I believe that God frowns on kids who die of cancer. That's so hard to swallow, though. WHY? Why do some suffer and others don't? There's good AND evil in the world. Life AND death. In it all, God is good. All the time. And all the time, God is good. I don't have to understand how and why He works. I just have to praise Him and worship Him when things go my way, and especially when they don't. That's easy to say now.... things are going fine. Remind me, one day, when things are looking dark, will ya?
I always felt like I have had angels hovering over me, protecting me. I am not crazy - I just have way too many situations in my life that I can really say - "Thank god!" I also feel John has someone watching him. It is a feeling I have -
However, on the flip side. Why do people suffer? Is there hell on earth? There are people living in proverty and starvation and literally dying from hunger in Africa. Why are their prayers not being answered? I can't imagine they are not praying.?
Hi there,
Just a quick thanks for your openness and honesty. I had a really rough fall/winter with the health of our youngest child. I heard about your story through another blog, and grabbed my attention as we have friends whose child has/had this same condition.
I really struggled a lot this past winter especially...the pain I felt was deeper than I ever imagined and yet there were others going through so much worse. It almost made all of what I knew about God seem more confusing than ever.
Through the circumstance I wish I could say that I held onto the truths of God and praised Him through it...the reality is far from that.
I guess I have realized how much bigger the Lord truly is than I am. I can't make sense of life at all and this circumstance really brought that to life in a whole new way.
I am just so thankful that the Lord loves us through our struggles.
Again, thank you...your honesty was really encouraging and helped me stay grounded through my own circumstance.
Another question on a similar line.
Why, if we believe in heaven and the glory that is to come, do we fight death so very hard? Why do go through so much agony and pain to fight off what is the wonder and beauty of heaven?
Sue
i think that every miracle of healing and life that we witness is one that comes from God. i don't know if God directed every little circumstance to get you just the right healing, but i do know He should be praised for it.
just this past week, a friend and i admitted to one another that we sometimes hesitate to pray too strongly for healing, for fear that it won't happen and then we'll have to struggle with why not. i think the better (and more difficult) choice is to turn to God as the one who can heal and ask that He will. to give Him praise and credit in the times that He does, even if it makes us question the times that He doesn't.
i praise God (as i know you do and then some) for what He has done and is doing for ira. i don't understand why He doesn't do it for everyone, but i'm glad that He has for you.
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