Is God the answer to our modern questions?

October 18, 2009
Job 38:1-7 (34-41)
Hebrews 5:1-10
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Year B
Is God the answer for our modern questions?

Joe was going to bed when his wife, Susie, informed him he had left the light on in the garden shed; she could see it from the bedroom window. But Joe said he hadn't been in the shed that day. He took a look, and there were people in the shed stealing things.

He called the police, but they told him that no one was in his area, so no one was available to catch the thieves. Joe said okay, hung up, counted to thirty, and called the police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were thieves in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now; I just shot them all."

Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, an armed response unit-the works. Of course, they caught the burglars red-handed. One of the policemen said to Joe, "I thought you said you shot them!"

Joe replied, "I thought you said there were no cops available."[1]

In these days of budget cuts, this story cuts very close to home. As we expect help from others, and get an answer that no help is available. I just recently called the police myself, and was surpised when asked if I was expecting them respond to my call. In many ways I guess that is a sign of the times.
But the call for help in times of need is universal. The concern when those you depend on don’t help is also universal. That is why we have the story of Job. Where is God when I need God – is a universal question that we have all asked at some time or another.
God seems to hear Job asking questions and demanding personal audience, and comes to speak to Job personally. Job is convinced that he is innocent. He has done nothing to deserve all of these horrible things. And he does not intend on changing or doing anything to get out of all of this stuff. God has a responsibility to rescue him and make it all better. But when God does speak to him – God could care less about whether he is innocent or not. Whether he has been faithful, or even whether he deserves all of this bad luck.
Job has some unanswerable questions, but God has God’s own set of Questions. Where were you during creation? Do you know how to make the sun set? Do you know how to call the wind to blow? Job realizes that his ways are not God ways. And that God is always much wiser than we could ever be. God is much more in control of the the world than we could ever be. And we are a part of God’s plan, God is not a part of our plan. God has a reason for doing everything in life. And there is no way to be privy to God’s plan. Faith in tough times is just a matter of trusting that God has a reason for everything. Faith that things turn out for the good of those who believe in God.
Life is full of suffering – we cant do anything about it. Sometimes going through that suffering makes us stronger that we could ever believe. When we think about who we are today – much of what forms our character and personality comes from overcoming adversity and challenge in our lives.
God’s point to Job still applies to our modern day lives and our modern day problems. Today we experience illness, economic problems, accidents, times when we are doing the right thing, yet still suffering, Times when we see loved ones struggling and stand by feeling helpless. All of these things are in the Job story, all of these things are in our story. And yet God wants us to know that when we stop and think about it – God is with us. We can see the presence of God in our lives. We can see the hand of God, when we feel out of control. For me I can see that so clearly. And even when I don’t see that – I still trust in that. God is on control – even in times when I am at loss for what is going on – which is most of the time.
Last Thursday I went to the Borders in Schaumburg – hoping to get Julie Andrews to sign my book. Something told me to call ahead of time – but no, when I got there, they were not allowing anyone else to get in line for her signature. In order to pass the time away – I looked at al l of the bestsellers. One really caught my attention. It is called “The New Atheism”. New atheism – I have enough problem with the old atheism, for there the be a new one. Isnt that why our churches our dying? – because people don’t want to believe in God. When they see the evil of the world – they don’t know what to think, they don’t know how to recognize God’s presence in our lives. So people conclude that there is not God. Our experience tells us that once a person dies, they cant come back to life – so there is no need to take the story of Jesus seriously. When faced with the answerable questions in life – an atheist cant look beyond the questions.
It seems that the new atheism is a movement that has come out of observations of the events of 911. A group of scientist concluded that the events of 911 would never have happen if it wasn’t for religion. Thus it is their task to free the world of ignorance, myth and doctrine. They believe that believing in God has hurt more people than anything else. They take offense that in the aftermath of 911 that our politicians seemed to justify their policies of war and destruction with religious language.
I find it interesting that many of those call themselves new atheist are scientist. Scientist who believe that everything in the natural world can be explained by scientist, so there is no need to explain it by an outdated notion of God.
Yes it is true- science can explain most things in the natural world. Today we know why the sun rises. We know how the sun rises. We even know that heaven not up there in the sky- in the sky is the atmosphere of earth, space, the solar system, the sun and many universes beyond. And yet science has not found anything that resembles a heavenly throne room. As we look at the natural world – we can explain how everything that exist today came into being.
And yet when God talks with Job, he does not ask how creation came into being. Science has a very different answer than faith to that question. God consistently asks Job if he was there when creation came into being. Job says no, we have to say no, and the atheistic scientist have to answer that question no. you can explain the wind, but can you make the wind blow – can you control the weather? We may not understand why God makes the wind blow, but I can assure you that if it were humanly possible to stop a hurricane or to change its course – we would but science cant do that. We can explain nature, but we cant control it. Which is God’s reminder to Job. As much as we want to be in control of our lives – God is still in control. Our ways are not God ways. And and how and why God does anything is still mystery to us. How do we explain the events of 911 – personally I think it goes much beyond the fact that there were a few people zealous for God wanting to hurt us. There was history, there were consequences, there social reality, there was the human spirits desire to move beyond hurt and pain and learn to heal. All things which cant be defined simply be a scientific explanation.
Job came to God because he wanted to prove his innocence. There was no reason for these things to happen to him. God never doubted that Job was innocent. As a matter of fact, God had enough faith for Job to hold onto to his innocence and his faith no matter what happen to him. It was faith that bought him through to this point. Victor Frankl – a jewish man who went throught the holocaust said that as long as you have a why – you can endure any of the hows that life throws at you. As long as you have something to look forward to – all that happens to you is just a means to an end. It is not the end for you.
Job has many chances to become a new atheist and to say that there is no God. We have those same chances – to walk away at any moment and to join others in the world. Yet Job made a choice – to hold onto his faith in God not matter what. To know that God would make things clear if he asked in faith, and to accept whatever answer he received. If I am faithful – then I have to choose obendiance in good times and in bad. The lord giveth, the lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord.
I believe in the sun, even when the sun doesn’t shine. I believe in the daylight, even when it is dark, I believe in God even when God is silent, and out dated. What about you?