The Problem of Pain

One of the most common questions unbelievers have is, if there is a God why is there so much suffering? In fact, for some, the mere existence of suffering in the world is enough proof for them that there is no God. Many people use it as an argument against belief and for atheism because it seems to present such a difficult problem. For example, Charles Darwin rejected Christianity after the death of his daughter, as one biographer notes, “his daughter’s death destroyed (his) belief in a moral, just universe and in Christianity”. Billionaire Ted Turner says he lost his faith after his sister died, in a New York Times article Turner once said, “I was taught that God was love and God was powerful …I couldn’t understand how someone so innocent should be made or allowed to suffer so.”

These kinds of questions can not be avoided for those of us who believe in a God who is sovereign and in control of everything, including things like cancer, earthquakes and persecution. The problem is, many churches today seem to be more concerned with things like programming and cultural relevance than with providing a deep theology of suffering. A couple of years ago Desiring God held a conference entitled "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God" in which Dr. John Piper made the follow remarks:

In the last four years (things like) 9/11, the Tsunami, and hurricane Katrina… have helped us discover how little the American church is rooted in the truth… our vision of God in relation to evil and suffering was shown to be frivolous. The church has not been spending its energy to go deep with the unfathomable God of the Bible. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, much of the church is choosing, at this very moment, to become more light and shallow and entertainment-oriented, and therefore successful in its utter irrelevance to massive suffering and evil. The popular God of the “fun-church” is simply too small… to hold a hurricane in his hand.

May this never be true of our church. May we grow deeper and deeper in our knowledge and appreciation of who God is everyday, especially with respect to this issue of suffering. Even though we may be a small church we serve and worship an immense/infinite God. A God who is awesome, sovereign and majestic, and a Saviour who knows about suffering. At the heart of the gospel is a message of how God used the greatest suffering there ever was to bring about the greatest good there ever could be. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God." 1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) Hallelujah what a Saviour!

Down Syndrome Adoption

As many of you already know, my wife and I have been waiting to adopt a child with Down syndrome for about three years now. But why? Why would anyone choose to adopt a child with Down syndrome? One of the reasons is that according to most estimates, 90% of mothers who are diagnosed with having a baby with Down syndrome decide to terminate the pregnancy. We desperately want to do something about this.

Recently Christian author/speaker Joni Erickson Tada wrote an article about the joys of children with Down syndrome in a September 2007 issue of World magazine. Here, in part, is what she said:

...there are growing numbers of parents crisscrossing the continent speaking to the blessings—even advantages—of raising a Down syndrome child. These parents are sharing their stories and explaining how a Down syndrome child can bless his siblings and draw a family closer together. They say that young women who are considering abortion don't understand, nor do they realize the benefits a Down syndrome baby brings to a family. Unfortunately, the only counsel these women are receiving from their obstetrician is often a brochure. I am deeply concerned about this trend. Abortion is now used as a "disability prevention measure." The effort to eliminate Down syndrome translates into the worst kind of social engineering: the annihilation of an entire group of people who are precious.

As a result, one of the most important works that needs to be done is in the area of awareness. Not only do parents need to be made aware of the truth that these children are in fact precious gifts, but they also need to know that their are couples out there that are wanting to adopt these children as an alternative to abortion. This is what our hope and goal is. And this is why my wife Anna has recently started a new website (www.canadiandownsyndromeadoption.com) to create awareness about this very important issue. You can read the rest of this excellent article there.

A Call to Prayer

As you know, yesterday was the anniversary of September 11, but as you may not know, tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan, where the followers of Muhammad commemorate his receiving of the Qur'an by fasting for a month. It is also a time in which many Christians throughout the world join together in praying for Muslims during these 30 days.

As Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. " (Rom 1:16) Thabiti Anyabwile, a convert from Islam now pastoring a church in the Grand Cayman Islands (tough gig huh), says this also includes Muslims...

I sometimes think Christians doubt this wonderful truth—that the gospel is the triumphing power of God in the lives of anyone and everyone who believes. We sometimes seem to think that certain people are beyond the saving reach of the gospel. Too often we certainly seem to think that the Muslim is beyond gospel reach and impervious to gospel power.

You can read this entire article here.

As a church, and as individuals, we are called to pray for those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Saviour. We are called to think globally about missions and God's saving purpose for the nations. Joining together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for Muslims during Ramadan is one very practical way in which we can do this. You can view/download a very helpful prayer guide here.

It's About Time

Back from vacation and back to school. My kids went off to their first day of school this morning and I realized how quickly the summer has come and gone. I also realized that it was about time that I updated my blog since I hadn't gotten a chance to do so for the last few weeks.

As the sayings go, time is of the essence and we are all strapped for time. As I was reflecting on my last message on our call as Christians to labor and strive toward the goal, I realized that part of that laboring involves good time management. As Jonathan Edwards once wrote:

Christians should not only study to improve the opportunities they enjoy, for their own advantage, as those who would make a good bargain; but also labor to reclaim others from their evil courses; so that God might defer his anger, and time might be redeemed from that terrible destruction, which, when it should come, would put an end to the time of divine patience.

In other words, we need to gain a sense of urgency about life and stop taking advantage God's patience. We need to work hard at improving the opportunities we are given to serve God and each other. Here is one simple/practical example of what I mean... some of us could try to minimize the time we spend online. From surfing the net to emailing, blogging and now face book. Not that these things are inherently wrong, but they do add up and use up our time. Here is a recent/healthy perspective on all this to get us thinking from Josh Harris: www.joshharris.com/2007/08/my_one_and_only_week_on_facebo_1.php