What is Good?
I got a massage a few weeks ago. As you know, these have a holy history for me. My counselor says it's because -like with yoga- my senses are actively "tuned in." I'm more inclined to believe that inhaling a room full of essential oils can give anyone visions. But whatever. If God wants to speak stuff through a shoulder rub, I'm down. (And P.S. I
consider my masseuse friend a willing vessel interceding on my behalf,
but an imperfect human nonetheless. Read: I'm not rewriting my theology around statements she delivers. So, there's the obligatory grain of salt.)
JC's "word" during this occasion, as relayed again through my masseuse's mouth, was "There's beauty in pain." Which I thought was a pretty dumb thing for God to say, considering the following day my Bestie would celebrate her son's 10th angelversary....instead of a double digits birthday here on earth. That's the opposite of beautiful. So I asked God, "For who? Who distinguishes the beauty as it unfurls from the pain? Certainly not the one experiencing it." What actually exited my mouth was, "That's interesting. Because I feel ruined for life."
Christian culture likes to spiritually frame the ups and downs of existence within a larger perspective. Like a mountainous landscape, intricate tapestry, or complicated recipe. If you zoom in on just one part, it might appear ugly and overgrown, disheveled and untailored, or bitter and muddled. But by taking a step back and observing all elements in their proper places, the final result is (or can be) a masterpiece. And that's the full picture God sees (and controls?), the entirety of each little piece connecting to produce a meaningful finale. The "all things working together for good" adage from Romans we hear so often in churches. My problem lies in the personal passiveness the phrase suggests. That God is a puppet master orchestrating everything according to His grand plan. Does that make us merely pawns to be moved at His will? And what of "the good" we're promised? Has American prosperity gospel shaped our ideas about what that should resemble? Taking these Biblical precepts at face value doesn't work for me anymore, so I'm wrestling it out with the Big Guy to see where I land. Ideologically speaking, of course.
Since Margot, I am more comfortable approaching religion with a scholarly bent. Less heart involvement necessary. Research allows for a detachment that relationship doesn't. It asks questions that shallow faith may overlook or dismiss. In that way, skepticism can be a useful tool for ferreting out actual belief. Hence my probing of Romans 8:28, which I'll share in its entirety from the New Living Translation: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
My rudimentary digging into this verse resulted in 3 "ah-ha" moments for me.
1. Translation isn't an exact science.
Duh.com, right? This explains the billion and five different versions of Scripture, including the "Hunter and Fisher of Men" Bible covered in day-glo orange. (I made that last one up, I hope.) However, I'm tackling a somewhat separate hurdle: Correctly interpreting the original syntax, intent, and emphasis of a written text into English. Basically, a direct word for word translation of Greek content into English will NOT convey the same meaning as the original. There are too many variables -sentence structure, speech patterns, cultural linguistics- at play. Obviously, the task is no cake walk, as demonstrated by this revelatory article by Kenny Burchard. He meticulously attacks verse and grammatical analysis with a fervor that gives this recovering English major the shakes. This scrutiny yields, what he considers, 3 "real" options in translation-
2. Divine sovereignty can co-exist with authentic freewill (and the outworkings thereof).
This is the most cringe-y part of my explorations because it's super complicated. MUCH smarter people than me have probs already created power point presentations disproving this idea. (Side note: Smart people, why do you have to be this way? We get it, you're smart.) For the longest time, I truly believed that everything, EVERYTHING was Divinely appointed. You got out of bed right foot first? JC wanted it that way. There was A REASON. But where's the freewill in THAT mix? (Hint: Nowhere.) More discomforting (to me) is an alternative notion where God created this lovely world, then took a giant step back to complacently observe humanity's bent towards chaos. Yikes! So, what is He? Helicopter parent -or- Absentee one? Micromanager -or- Missing person? Neither choice jibes with the revelation of Himself through son Jesus. However after reading Rabbi Harold Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen..." and this Romans 8:28 article by Brian Keating, I've encountered another perspective. Within the Christian faith, followers accept that -in certain circumstances- God chose/chooses to limit or restrict Himself. For instance, the natural rules that govern our universe. Gravity, planetary orbits, changing of seasons, the human body. These systems exist with certain boundaries to operate properly. And, if you went to my Sunday School, you agree that the Alpha and Omega created everything, including these protective limitations. Essentially, the boundless One instituted bounds with his power. Not saying that God cannot miraculously work outside this scope, but -more often than not- the world runs within an established set of rules. Okay now, try to follow this train down the track by considering Jesus. Fully human and fully God, right? Except some attributes of God HAD to be muted for Jesus to truly participate in mortality. Omnipotence, omnipresence, immortality- Suppressed for a season. Because without these self-imposed restrictions, His atoning sacrifice on our behalf would've stopped before it even started, an irrelevant incarnation. Yet Hebrews 4:15 states, "...We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin." So, from this verse, we gather that Jesus -not as a Divine robot but an entirely autonomous being- freely interacted with the joys and hardships of human life as we do, except in a perfect manner. Which is why His sacrifice for us stuck. But what does this reveal about freewill and our earthly experience and Romans 8:28? I can't say it better than the aforementioned Brian Keating:
I believe that in the beginning, when God allowed for freewill in His creation, He also allowed for the blessings and fallout (a.k.a. sin) which that considerable permission set into motion. Not as a laissez-faire Deity, but as an equitable One. Think about the first amendment: Freedom of speech. Defined as "the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint." Many Americans casually assume entitlement to a privilege citizens of other countries would die to possess. But, as we know (from an egregious misquote of the MCU ), with great privilege comes great responsibility. Because the same freedom that permits speech to promote unity, awareness, progressive thinking, and open dialogue ALSO permits speech to promote divisiveness, fear-mongering, repressive thinking, and closed mindedness. These mixed-bag results extend to freewill as well. We still reap consequences from the first transgression; pride and deceit crafted the broken path humans have had to walk ever since. Conversely, Jesus' time as a God-man produced a lasting legacy of hope, forgiveness, and rescue that remain readily available to any seeking soul. The threads of each free action -whether good or bad- unravel, extend, and multiply to weave a complicated, ripple effect web through which mankind must navigate. Here's the good part: God's provision for the outworkings of freewill doesn't diminish His supremacy or presence within the world. He hasn't abandoned us in a quicksand mire of our own choices. In the words of every pastor ever, we already know the end of the story! Jesus is victorious! His authority is final; His ultimate purposes for our lives will not be thwarted. Against the harsh background of this fallen earth, He invites our free participation in His life-giving work. I like Kenny Burchard's explanation:
3. No life experience, whether birthed from randomness or God's good hand, is for naught IF one adopts the perspective that comes with humility and the passage of time.
This last article, written by Wayne Jackson, does a wonderful job of using Romans 8:28 -along with Biblical history- to inform certain accounts of faith. The tail end of Paul's ministry is spotlighted, focusing on the 2 years of house arrest he spent waiting to stand trial for a crime he didn't commit. (And you thought your day was bad!?!) Instead of languishing in self pity, Paul saw opportunity in those 2 years of imposed stillness. He sent notes of encouragement to churches he'd helped establish and talked to his captors about Jesus. In a letter he wrote to the church of Philippi during this time, he referenced his less-than-optimal situation, "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel." To fully grasp Paul's meaning, Jackson investigates the origins of the phrase "served to advance":
"Cutting down" or forward creates such a vivid word picture. Like soldiers hacking their way through jungle underbrush. It's an intense action. Which is my quarrel with Wayne's description of Paul's struggles as "seemingly adverse." Dude, they WERE adverse. Period. His ultimate arrival within God's good goals does NOT diminish or eliminate the pain he experienced while his health and endeavors were repeatedly cut off at the knees. And therein lies the root of the problem with the previously discussed "bigger picture" concept many Christians espouse. The "all things working together" mantra. Because to a person in deep grief or pain or doubt, another human trying to give spiritual context to their affliction can come across as condescending or accusatory to say the least. Ask Job. It puts God in the role of a haphazard, all-powerful being, subjectively "allowing" sickness and hardship in various doses -truckloads to teaspoon-fulls- to promote a grand plan through His children's lives. Yuck. God didn't create us as chess pieces for His Almighty hands; He created us in and for love. So, that's why phrases like "God can use this in your life" -or- "You can use this in your testimony" unleash such a visceral response in me. In most (all?) other life circumstances, getting "used" connotes being at the wrong end of underhandedness, scheming, or abuse. Unknowingly being a tool to forward another's devices. If God precipitated our deepest sorrows as stepping stones for His will, the popular Isaiah 61:3 phrase, He'll "give them beauty for ashes" reads like the reparations of a guilty party. And I don't buy that. God doesn't inflict trouble willy-nilly to spur personal growth. However, actions do have consequences. That's freewill for you. And certainly, God is capable of setting steering circumstances or disciplining detours in the course of a troubled kid. But simply because One *is capable* of a certain action, does NOT mean they're always the cause (or culprit) of said action. Life isn't a series of Divine rewards or punishments based on our good or bad behavior. That legalistic lens is a slippery slope in discounting the work of Christ. Please hear me-Our suffering can be just that: Suffering. It can stand alone, unattached to the lesson or reason or meaning Christians are so wont to propose. We DON'T have to be a phoenix rising from the ashes of past choices or a butterfly breaking out of a dark cocoon catastrophe. (But also P.S. We absolutely CAN be those things.) Read: Pain doesn't have to be transformative to matter; pain can just BE. And that's where perspective comes in. Not the fairy tale perspective of life's dissonant puzzle pieces finally clicking together in beautiful resolution. But the humble, honed-in perspective of a fellow burn victim. Because one previously cut down in the path of wildfire can pinpoint -with eagle-eyed accuracy- the black smoke of another's smoldering sorrow. Arriving at the scene, they won't prompt the victim to search for a diamond among ashy ruins. No, they'll kneel in the mess to embrace their friend and extend the sole (and soul) offering that penetrates trauma's haze: The sacred silence and shared vulnerability mutual understanding provides.
Returning to the big question- Beauty in pain? Still seems a bit extreme to me. But I know this much: Bearing witness to perseverance is important. So the day after my massage, we gathered around Gabriel's grave site for the 10th year. He was celebrated as son, brother, grandson, cousin, and friend. What an irreplaceable little person. The raw significance of these festivities was extra apparent with two freshly grieving families standing among the crowd, their daughters not held in parents' arms but buried under their feet. The darkness that took these two girls, that took Gabe, wasn't God. The chaotic results of freewill -sin, death, disease, racism, conflict- had no place in His perfect Eden. Ultimate holiness cannot yoke with innate ugliness. But Jesus' faultless life and atoning death paved the reconciliatory road back to the garden, providing opportunity to restore our relationship with the Maker to its original intent: A transcendent connection spurring desire to become better extensions of His character. A Divine partnership working to bring light and sacrificial love and hope to every situation. Even the very worst ones. Before we sang "Happy Birthday" to Gabriel, Meghan said some profound words about missing her boy. During this heartfelt speech, she specifically made eye contact with myself and Jen, the other loss Mama present. And I felt seen. Recognized. Not in a pushy "Your mess can be your message" way. But authentically SEEN as the scarred casualty of a demolished dream. In that subtle communication to Jen and I, Meg acknowledged the reality of the pit. Because she has been there. And having that bond, that kinship, that company in the depths can be a miraculous thing. A redeeming thing. A working for good, working towards God type thing.
JC's "word" during this occasion, as relayed again through my masseuse's mouth, was "There's beauty in pain." Which I thought was a pretty dumb thing for God to say, considering the following day my Bestie would celebrate her son's 10th angelversary....instead of a double digits birthday here on earth. That's the opposite of beautiful. So I asked God, "For who? Who distinguishes the beauty as it unfurls from the pain? Certainly not the one experiencing it." What actually exited my mouth was, "That's interesting. Because I feel ruined for life."
Christian culture likes to spiritually frame the ups and downs of existence within a larger perspective. Like a mountainous landscape, intricate tapestry, or complicated recipe. If you zoom in on just one part, it might appear ugly and overgrown, disheveled and untailored, or bitter and muddled. But by taking a step back and observing all elements in their proper places, the final result is (or can be) a masterpiece. And that's the full picture God sees (and controls?), the entirety of each little piece connecting to produce a meaningful finale. The "all things working together for good" adage from Romans we hear so often in churches. My problem lies in the personal passiveness the phrase suggests. That God is a puppet master orchestrating everything according to His grand plan. Does that make us merely pawns to be moved at His will? And what of "the good" we're promised? Has American prosperity gospel shaped our ideas about what that should resemble? Taking these Biblical precepts at face value doesn't work for me anymore, so I'm wrestling it out with the Big Guy to see where I land. Ideologically speaking, of course.
Since Margot, I am more comfortable approaching religion with a scholarly bent. Less heart involvement necessary. Research allows for a detachment that relationship doesn't. It asks questions that shallow faith may overlook or dismiss. In that way, skepticism can be a useful tool for ferreting out actual belief. Hence my probing of Romans 8:28, which I'll share in its entirety from the New Living Translation: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."
My rudimentary digging into this verse resulted in 3 "ah-ha" moments for me.
1. Translation isn't an exact science.
Duh.com, right? This explains the billion and five different versions of Scripture, including the "Hunter and Fisher of Men" Bible covered in day-glo orange. (I made that last one up, I hope.) However, I'm tackling a somewhat separate hurdle: Correctly interpreting the original syntax, intent, and emphasis of a written text into English. Basically, a direct word for word translation of Greek content into English will NOT convey the same meaning as the original. There are too many variables -sentence structure, speech patterns, cultural linguistics- at play. Obviously, the task is no cake walk, as demonstrated by this revelatory article by Kenny Burchard. He meticulously attacks verse and grammatical analysis with a fervor that gives this recovering English major the shakes. This scrutiny yields, what he considers, 3 "real" options in translation-
- All things work out for my good? (KJV- "All things work together for good…for those...")
- God works all things for my good? (NIV- "God works all things for good…to those...")
- God works with those who love him to bring about good! (NIV footnote- "works together with those who love him to bring about what is good...”)
2. Divine sovereignty can co-exist with authentic freewill (and the outworkings thereof).
This is the most cringe-y part of my explorations because it's super complicated. MUCH smarter people than me have probs already created power point presentations disproving this idea. (Side note: Smart people, why do you have to be this way? We get it, you're smart.) For the longest time, I truly believed that everything, EVERYTHING was Divinely appointed. You got out of bed right foot first? JC wanted it that way. There was A REASON. But where's the freewill in THAT mix? (Hint: Nowhere.) More discomforting (to me) is an alternative notion where God created this lovely world, then took a giant step back to complacently observe humanity's bent towards chaos. Yikes! So, what is He? Helicopter parent -or- Absentee one? Micromanager -or- Missing person? Neither choice jibes with the revelation of Himself through son Jesus. However after reading Rabbi Harold Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen..." and this Romans 8:28 article by Brian Keating, I've encountered another perspective. Within the Christian faith, followers accept that -in certain circumstances- God chose/chooses to limit or restrict Himself. For instance, the natural rules that govern our universe. Gravity, planetary orbits, changing of seasons, the human body. These systems exist with certain boundaries to operate properly. And, if you went to my Sunday School, you agree that the Alpha and Omega created everything, including these protective limitations. Essentially, the boundless One instituted bounds with his power. Not saying that God cannot miraculously work outside this scope, but -more often than not- the world runs within an established set of rules. Okay now, try to follow this train down the track by considering Jesus. Fully human and fully God, right? Except some attributes of God HAD to be muted for Jesus to truly participate in mortality. Omnipotence, omnipresence, immortality- Suppressed for a season. Because without these self-imposed restrictions, His atoning sacrifice on our behalf would've stopped before it even started, an irrelevant incarnation. Yet Hebrews 4:15 states, "...We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin." So, from this verse, we gather that Jesus -not as a Divine robot but an entirely autonomous being- freely interacted with the joys and hardships of human life as we do, except in a perfect manner. Which is why His sacrifice for us stuck. But what does this reveal about freewill and our earthly experience and Romans 8:28? I can't say it better than the aforementioned Brian Keating:
Certainly, everything that God does to His followers is for their own good. However, God is not controlling every
event that occurs on the earth today. After all, 1 John 5:19 tells us
that “the whole world is lying in the power of the evil one”. Also,
Jesus tells us to pray that “God’s will be done on the earth, as it is
in heaven”. If God’s will were already being done on the earth, then why would we have to pray for it?
I believe that in the beginning, when God allowed for freewill in His creation, He also allowed for the blessings and fallout (a.k.a. sin) which that considerable permission set into motion. Not as a laissez-faire Deity, but as an equitable One. Think about the first amendment: Freedom of speech. Defined as "the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint." Many Americans casually assume entitlement to a privilege citizens of other countries would die to possess. But, as we know (from an egregious misquote of the MCU ), with great privilege comes great responsibility. Because the same freedom that permits speech to promote unity, awareness, progressive thinking, and open dialogue ALSO permits speech to promote divisiveness, fear-mongering, repressive thinking, and closed mindedness. These mixed-bag results extend to freewill as well. We still reap consequences from the first transgression; pride and deceit crafted the broken path humans have had to walk ever since. Conversely, Jesus' time as a God-man produced a lasting legacy of hope, forgiveness, and rescue that remain readily available to any seeking soul. The threads of each free action -whether good or bad- unravel, extend, and multiply to weave a complicated, ripple effect web through which mankind must navigate. Here's the good part: God's provision for the outworkings of freewill doesn't diminish His supremacy or presence within the world. He hasn't abandoned us in a quicksand mire of our own choices. In the words of every pastor ever, we already know the end of the story! Jesus is victorious! His authority is final; His ultimate purposes for our lives will not be thwarted. Against the harsh background of this fallen earth, He invites our free participation in His life-giving work. I like Kenny Burchard's explanation:
God creates a world, then calls (appoints, and installs) a
co-worker inside of the creation in order to advance his good purposes.
God, and his co-laborer(s) subdue the chaos in the world, and in every
circumstance and situation that arises, they work together to bring
about good in all things.
3. No life experience, whether birthed from randomness or God's good hand, is for naught IF one adopts the perspective that comes with humility and the passage of time.
This last article, written by Wayne Jackson, does a wonderful job of using Romans 8:28 -along with Biblical history- to inform certain accounts of faith. The tail end of Paul's ministry is spotlighted, focusing on the 2 years of house arrest he spent waiting to stand trial for a crime he didn't commit. (And you thought your day was bad!?!) Instead of languishing in self pity, Paul saw opportunity in those 2 years of imposed stillness. He sent notes of encouragement to churches he'd helped establish and talked to his captors about Jesus. In a letter he wrote to the church of Philippi during this time, he referenced his less-than-optimal situation, "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel." To fully grasp Paul's meaning, Jackson investigates the origins of the phrase "served to advance":
...The interesting term “progress” (prokope)...is a compound form consisting of pro (toward) and kopto (to cut).
{Professor William} Barclay described the term as depicting the work of “cutting away” the
trees and undergrowth, as in the case of the preparation necessary for
an advancing army. What Paul is suggesting in this text, therefore, is this: In spite of
the fact that many seemingly adverse elements have conspired to deter
his ministry, these events have not frustrated the Divine plan...
"Cutting down" or forward creates such a vivid word picture. Like soldiers hacking their way through jungle underbrush. It's an intense action. Which is my quarrel with Wayne's description of Paul's struggles as "seemingly adverse." Dude, they WERE adverse. Period. His ultimate arrival within God's good goals does NOT diminish or eliminate the pain he experienced while his health and endeavors were repeatedly cut off at the knees. And therein lies the root of the problem with the previously discussed "bigger picture" concept many Christians espouse. The "all things working together" mantra. Because to a person in deep grief or pain or doubt, another human trying to give spiritual context to their affliction can come across as condescending or accusatory to say the least. Ask Job. It puts God in the role of a haphazard, all-powerful being, subjectively "allowing" sickness and hardship in various doses -truckloads to teaspoon-fulls- to promote a grand plan through His children's lives. Yuck. God didn't create us as chess pieces for His Almighty hands; He created us in and for love. So, that's why phrases like "God can use this in your life" -or- "You can use this in your testimony" unleash such a visceral response in me. In most (all?) other life circumstances, getting "used" connotes being at the wrong end of underhandedness, scheming, or abuse. Unknowingly being a tool to forward another's devices. If God precipitated our deepest sorrows as stepping stones for His will, the popular Isaiah 61:3 phrase, He'll "give them beauty for ashes" reads like the reparations of a guilty party. And I don't buy that. God doesn't inflict trouble willy-nilly to spur personal growth. However, actions do have consequences. That's freewill for you. And certainly, God is capable of setting steering circumstances or disciplining detours in the course of a troubled kid. But simply because One *is capable* of a certain action, does NOT mean they're always the cause (or culprit) of said action. Life isn't a series of Divine rewards or punishments based on our good or bad behavior. That legalistic lens is a slippery slope in discounting the work of Christ. Please hear me-Our suffering can be just that: Suffering. It can stand alone, unattached to the lesson or reason or meaning Christians are so wont to propose. We DON'T have to be a phoenix rising from the ashes of past choices or a butterfly breaking out of a dark cocoon catastrophe. (But also P.S. We absolutely CAN be those things.) Read: Pain doesn't have to be transformative to matter; pain can just BE. And that's where perspective comes in. Not the fairy tale perspective of life's dissonant puzzle pieces finally clicking together in beautiful resolution. But the humble, honed-in perspective of a fellow burn victim. Because one previously cut down in the path of wildfire can pinpoint -with eagle-eyed accuracy- the black smoke of another's smoldering sorrow. Arriving at the scene, they won't prompt the victim to search for a diamond among ashy ruins. No, they'll kneel in the mess to embrace their friend and extend the sole (and soul) offering that penetrates trauma's haze: The sacred silence and shared vulnerability mutual understanding provides.
Returning to the big question- Beauty in pain? Still seems a bit extreme to me. But I know this much: Bearing witness to perseverance is important. So the day after my massage, we gathered around Gabriel's grave site for the 10th year. He was celebrated as son, brother, grandson, cousin, and friend. What an irreplaceable little person. The raw significance of these festivities was extra apparent with two freshly grieving families standing among the crowd, their daughters not held in parents' arms but buried under their feet. The darkness that took these two girls, that took Gabe, wasn't God. The chaotic results of freewill -sin, death, disease, racism, conflict- had no place in His perfect Eden. Ultimate holiness cannot yoke with innate ugliness. But Jesus' faultless life and atoning death paved the reconciliatory road back to the garden, providing opportunity to restore our relationship with the Maker to its original intent: A transcendent connection spurring desire to become better extensions of His character. A Divine partnership working to bring light and sacrificial love and hope to every situation. Even the very worst ones. Before we sang "Happy Birthday" to Gabriel, Meghan said some profound words about missing her boy. During this heartfelt speech, she specifically made eye contact with myself and Jen, the other loss Mama present. And I felt seen. Recognized. Not in a pushy "Your mess can be your message" way. But authentically SEEN as the scarred casualty of a demolished dream. In that subtle communication to Jen and I, Meg acknowledged the reality of the pit. Because she has been there. And having that bond, that kinship, that company in the depths can be a miraculous thing. A redeeming thing. A working for good, working towards God type thing.
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