La Main de Dieu (The Hand of God) by Auguste Rodin,1902
The age-old debate is back.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15996725-fierce-debate-after-newtown-school-shootings-where-was-god?lite
Is it helpful? I don’t know, but I don’t think so.
Here is what I find helpful, and perhaps you will too:
-a scientific truth is that dark is the absence of light (photons)
-similarly, cold is the absence of heat (thermal energy)
-so, what if “evil” is simply the absence of good = God?
So, where were good and God in Newtown? Flowing freely through all of the people open to them:
-God was with the first grade teacher who kept her children safe and told them she loved them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDS8vVQTus
-God and good were flowing between the teacher and student who died embracing each other
-God is working through all of the people comforting the families who mourn victims
-God is working through all of us to change our country in ways that will prevent such a thing from happening again
We have free will, so God cannot stop us from pulling a trigger.
Empathy in its purest form – love – is God’s currency, available to us abundantly.
Empathy is the world’s most plentiful resource, and it is more than renewable.
It multiplies.
We must choose to use it. When we do, God is there.
What do you think?
From Rhonda George Laurencelle (on Facebook): Where is God? Here He is…..Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy; they didn’t know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.”Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
“This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring
Those children all flew into the arms of their King
And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”
“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools”
“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”
Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
“Come now my children let me show you around.”
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
Andy heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”
~ Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA