When to Blame God?

The Buffalo Bills were tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Sunday NFL game and it went to overtime. Steve Johnson, a Buffalo Bills wide receiver, had the opportunity to catch a winning touchdown pass in overtime. He did not make the catch. The Bills ended up losing the game.

After the game, he posted a "tweet" in which he said the following:

"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."

It would appear that Johnson is blaming God for his missing the catch. He says that he will never get over this.

I do feel for this young man. Certainly this would have been a big victory for his team, playing a team that was statistically so much better. I think almost everyone imagines an opportunity when they get to be the hero...especially in a sporting event! To have that opportunity and not come through would be devastating!

I figure in a few days, as the tension and frustration with this game begins to subside, he'll realize there will be other opportunities. I also hope that he soon realizes that God does not control every play of a football game. I am glad that Johnson praises God often. I do think he has a chance to learn something from this. His life is not all about football. It is about being a good human being in a fractured world.

God knows his true heart and I don't think he blames God. He is just angry and frustrated. I hope he knows he has a God who will always love him and support him. Things may just not always go the way we want them to go.

Don't Put This on the Poster

Yesterday morning, I was reading my devotion from the One Year Mini. There was a section of the devotion that stuck with me throughout the day. It centered around the issue of faithfulness and address the question: Is God's rescue of us dependent on our faithfulness to him? Part of their response read:

"If God always rescued those who were true to him, Christians would not need faith. Their religion would be a great insurance policy, and there would be be lines of selfish people ready to sign up.

We should be faithful to God whether her intervenes on our behalf or not. Our eternal reward and rescue from God's judgment are worth any suffering we may have to endure first."

I read this, and I see the wisdom and truth in this statement. I realize that our needs are not always what God has in store for us. I realize that life is going to have its ups and downs, and we will make our way through regardless. It is our faith in God that sustains us through life.

With so many churches struggling to find new members and struggling to keep their current members, I can't help but focus on this image of lines of people being ready to sign up. Aren't folks looking for a sure thing? If God provided everything they needed, I suppose everyone would want to be Christian.

I also suppose many atheists would argue that if God exists, and he is a good and just God, he would provide everything that we need. Why would he want to see us suffer?

The writer tells us that what waits for us after this life will be way better than anything bad that might happen to us. I certainly believe it. I know many others that do...but many that don't. How do we help non-believers to understand the "eternal reward" waiting for them in Christ?

God Delusion, Part I

I wrote quite awhile ago that I had purchased the book The God Delusion. Among the atheist community, this book is often cited. I thought it would be useful for me to read the book simply to know how they argue against the existence of God. My years in high school debate taught me that you need to explore opposing viewpoints.

I have made my way through almost on half of the book. Did I think the book would convert me to atheism? No. Did I think the book would be challenging for me? Yes. Is it OK for us to have some doubts in our faith? Yes. This book has certainly been challenging for me to read.

So far, this books comes down to science vs. faith. This is not a surprise. Dawkins, at great length, discusses the ability of science to explain how our world works, specifically as it relates to the ideas of evolution, natural selection and the formation of our universe. Through his detailed explanations, he asserts that there can be no other reasonable explanation for how we got here.

When you talk about faith, it is just that. To Dawkins, the Bible is not a legitimate book for argumentation purposes. Thus, the discussion is over. Dawkins simply asks for scientific proof that there is a God. It's not there. Thus, there is no God. Prayer doesn't really work. Creationism has no evidence.

How do you argue faith? I can see a prayer answered. I can see the beauty of creation. I can appreciate my conversations with God. I can see the Holy Spirit at work. I know these things exist, and I look for strength from the Holy Bible. It brings me great confidence and great strength.

While in college, there was a time when I considered myself an atheist. I was miserable and directionless. Since renewing my relationship with God and living a life of doing my best to love God and love one another, I am happier, less worried and find more meaning and joy in life.

I wish that Dawkins and others could have that in their life as well. Yet, I realize that there will be folks with his views and, as a Christian, I am still called to minister to them. While difficult, I realize it is something that we are called to do.

*** Stay tuned for future reflections on this book. ***