Why bad things happen

"If God is a loving God, then why does he allow wars?"

"Why do earthquakes and tsunamis occur?"

"Why do such bad things happen to good people?"

People ask such questions with great frequency and the kids in my youth confirmation class were no different. Several days ago the subject came up and I began to attempt to explain why a loving God allows heartaches and tragedies.

As I was about to speak, it occurred to me that every single one of these kids was computer literate. I'm not sure they ever saw a day in their young lives when computers weren't a factor. So, I took a different approach. "Let's say that you are working on your computer one night," I began. "Now, you have always followed the rules when it comes to computers. You don't visit illicit sites, you stay out of questionable chat rooms, you just surf approved sites, send email and photos, and receive e-mails and pictures from your friends. Then one night, the computer begins to act weird and things go from bad to worse. Finally the machine ‘crashes.’ You did nothing wrong, yet your PC crashes. What happened?"

"It was probably a virus," one said. "A virus," I agreed.

In the beginning of biblical history, God created the worlds, we read in Genesis, and when the earth was completed, God passed judgment on the planet, calling it "very good." A paradise is created and humankind is formed "in the image of God." Part of being made in the image of God is that man has the very god-like ability to make choices. Two trees are found in the garden paradise, one the "Tree of Life," the other the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." The first parents are forbidden nothing, except this second tree. The first tree grants life, the second tree changes everything and brings death. The first tree represents God's ways, the second tree represents something other than God's ways. Man chooses the wrong tree, against the express command of the Creator.

According to the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (NIV). Because of the choice, the wrongful choice, of the first Adam, sin entered the world through one man. Long, long ago, I shared with the kids, one person introduced the destructive power of sin into the perfect world.

"Like a virus," said one. "A virus," I concurred. And, like a virus, its destructive power, including death, came "to all men."

We live in an infected world. The human family is shattered, the church is broken and fragmented, and all people, with the exception of the very youngest children, struggle with and against the "virus," this which the Bible calls "sin." In the world of the computers, we can clean up our computer and install anti-virus software, but we cannot eradicate the virus. Once in the Internet system, it stays there seeking vulnerable computers to attack and destroy. Sometimes the innocent, who have played by all the rules, suffer a crash because somebody, somewhere introduced a virus. Wars, tragedies, wickedness, evil; all are manifestations and results on the ancient virus introduced into the human condition so very long ago.

The solution is offered by, once again, the Apostle Paul: "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17 NIV). In other words, a relationship with God through Christ is the answer to the virus question. Jesus "disinfects" the one who has been "infected" by "the virus." Again, Paul writes, "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19 NIV).

Not all, of course, will accept this view of the world. Some prefer to believe in an impersonal, godless, soulless universe, devoid of meaning and hope. For my part, and I trust the youth of the confirmation class concur, I believe in the "anti-virus" offered in scripture: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9 NIV).

Computers crash, wars happen tragedies occur, tsunamis appear; all results of living on an infected planet. Sometimes, the innocent do suffer, sorrowful consequences of the ability to choose. Yet, we are still designed to live in a relationship with God and we are capable of great things. Like a computer, we do not function well if there are parts missing. In Jesus, God provides for us the missing piece that makes the whole thing work.