Ranting

The brokenness of this world has become severely evident these last few months. We've had 3 kids commit/attempt suicide in the last 3 months at a nearby school district. Japan has had not one but two earthquakes in the last month or so. I know friends left and right who are losing jobs because of this economy (and isn't Texas supposed to be immune to this recession? Where's the giant budget surplus we supposedly had during the last governor's election less than year ago?!). Our government will likely shut down because of greed and pride and an inability to work for the common good. I can count on all my fingers and toes the number of people I know personally who are sick, both physically and mentally. That doesn't even include the patients I see every week. Pastors everywhere are twisting the pure and simple Gospel to make it "more user friendly" when it was perfect just as it is. And to paraphrase my dear Aunt, when did mediocrity become okay? (Yes even striving for mediocrity is part of a broken world.) I blame it on sin, you can blame it on whatever you want. What I don't blame it on is God.

That might be the most frustrating part. Daily those who believe in something besides themselves are being persecuted (both physically and mentally). Mental persecution of those who believe in God is especially evident in the comments section of any news story. If you're looking for something uplifting, don't read those, ever. It'll just discourage you more with all the hatred in the world and people's self-righteousness that "because I don't believe that there is a higher power makes me a better person". People look for explanations for every event that happens, but bring God into the picture and "Of course that can't be the right answer". They (not all non-believers, just the more vocal ones) call us (Christians, believers in God and Jesus and the Gospel) ignorant because I can have enough faith in something I can't see and it gives me hope and joy. It's a good thing Jesus warned his disciples that persecution was coming or else I think we'd be taken aback even more than we are when we actually face it.

I've learned I can't boast in anything, even in the fact that I believe in God. I am the scum of the earth (according to God) and I'm not even a "bad person" by society's standards. I recognize the brokenness of the world even in myself and realize there is no cure except the Gospel.

All I can boast in is the fact that there is a God and the he loves me and doesn't want me to suffer eternal torment. But really it has nothing to do with me. It does have everything to do with God. Does he hurt when the world is hurting? Absolutely. Did he cause those acts? Not necessarily. Does he want the world to suffer through devastating acts of nature and hurtful acts by humans? Yeah kind of. Why? Because ultimately it will bring people closer to the God who loves them and who fulfills their ultimate desires and needs. Think about it. As a kid when were you more likely to run to your mommy? When you were happy and satisfied in something like playing with your friends? Or was it when you were hurt and broken?

My heart aches for those who can't experience that total comfort of running to someone who can fix you. The stubbornness of the world that rejects the Gospel causes me literal anguish. I guess that's why Christ came and why we become more like Christ as we follow him. God loves people and it hurts Him to see them suffer. So is the ultimate mark of a growing Christian that our heart becomes more burdened for people and for the suffering they face because they have no hope for the future? I wouldn't count that out.

So this was definitely a rant and scattered with no big theme or conclusion. But my heart feels a little less burden (or maybe more burdened towards action...) now that I have this down on pixels.

I hope those of you who are fellow believers may be burdened like I am. For those of you who are not, I pray everyday to that God you don't believe in that you may someday know Him and experience true joy and peace by knowing him.