traffic

I think that the biggest question that people really have about God and if he exists is the question worded a bit like "if God really is there, how come such bad stuff happens?" It's a good question. Bad stuff does happen and every day and all over the world. It happens to mothers, to fathers, to infants and to children and the bad news never seems to stop.

I went and saw the movie Taken tonight and thought it was a pretty intense, well put together movie with a decent story line. The thing is that the human trafficking issue comes hugely into play. Can you imagine that people abuse and sell other human beings? It sickened me to the core and made me ask "why could you let this happen, God?" It was a movie, yes, but these things happen every day. Women are forced into a life of drugs and prostitution in order to fulfill the sick fantasies and greed of others. So how can a good God that I so firmly believe in "let" this happen?

I wish that I could give you this amazing, stop you in your tracks answer. If I could, I'd probably be speaking to thousands of people on a weekly basis instead of writing this on my couch for all five of you who read this. I do have a bit of an answer, though, and I've been working through it myself. The scripture says, "you are the light of the world, a city on a hill that should not be hidden." It also says, "you are the salt of the earth..." The deal is that God has placed exactly the light into the world to shed illumination onto these issues and has put his people in the places where they can make a difference and change the world. He has put the resources into place to put human trafficking or starvation or any number of human calamities to an end. But those resources are wrapped up in my macbook and my nice home. These resources are wrapped up in our tricked out church buildings and our expensive meals. Those resources are wrapped up in my caffeine addiction and so they never make it to where God has equipped them to be delivered.

The more that I see movies like this or news stories or U2 songs and do nothing about it, the more desensitized I become that they are someone else's problem and that it sucks that it happens. The more that I do that, the more I can "live with" these things in the world and point a "justified" finger at God and ask Him why, or rationalize that "this sinful world deserves this." and the more I become one who is allowing hell on earth instead of one who is bringing God's kingdom.