The World Is Not Perfect

I was reading in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy when I ran across this:

“There is also a famous problem casting doubt on the existence of God: Why, if God is an omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent being, is there evil in the world?”

Guess I’m not a very good philosophy student, for this question has an answer:

God is as described, (within our limited abilities) omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent. There is evil in this world. Therefore, there is something about evil that God knows and we do not, for no man has evidenced omniscience, omnipotence nor benevolence. Why would we expect this world to be nothing but good?

There is not only evil in this world, there is pain and suffering. And, in the natural course of life, there is death. We’ve all been touched by it. A friend’s baby lost to a wrapped umbilical cord just days before his due date, all the way up to an uncle who celebrated his 102^nd birthday. My husband had three aunts in their 90’s, quite capable of living in their own, separate, homes while a five-year-old nephew died in his sleep from an unknown, undiscoverable birth defect.

Recently a mother died from complications after a surgery for cancer, only two months after her initial diagnosis. Another fights a year later, and we may lose her before you read this. Others retain their bodies, while their minds slowly die, taking all knowledge of their loved ones. There is pain.

Why? I do not know. I don’t believe we are supposed to know, now.

However, my faith is not dependent on the unearned blessings of a far off deity that cannot be comprehended. It is dependent upon the deity that cared enough to speak to His creation through thousands of years. One who inspired their writings. One who came in flesh to provide not only the propitiation for our errors, but to show us that we, too, can live as His examples.

It is in small verses such as this that my curiosity is piqued.

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? (1 Corinthians 6:3a KJV)

What does He have in store for us after this life?

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (Isaiah 64:4 KJV)

Some will say there is nothing after this life. Death brings only cessation of the body, which holds nothing more.

I will not bet my life they are right. I will search for answers, daily, through His word, prayer – and even hear the words of the naysayer – though to this point there has been nothing to convince me otherwise. I believe His Son said:

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32 KJV)

Some will call our religion vain.

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 KJV)

The center core of my belief resides in the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV)

And that He rose after being the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29b.)

What’s yours?