It's God's Will and Toxic Divinity

One of the most vile bits of popular theology I keep hearing is, "It's God's will."

Excuse me, but not everything is God's will. If everything is God's will, by definition, sin does not exist. The God Jesus revealed does not exist in the worldview of the blanket statement that everything is God's will and design. I know that most people who resort to propagating the phrase and sentiment may mean well, but I'm pretty sure they have not thought it through.

I am responsible for my inactions, my attitudes, my words, my decisions, and my actions. I have agency. I am more than a puppet on God's string.

Some of the same voices who spew the notion that all things are God's will turn around and quickly tell others they are heretics, abominations, and God will spew them out of God's mouth. If everything is God's will, then why would God do so? The two concepts are at odds with each other. If what I am doing is condemnable by God, then how can what I do be both God's will and not be God's responsibility? Should not such a deity rather condemn itself?

The deity portrayed by such a theology is dictatorial, autocratic, manipulative, and disingenuous for either blessing or cursing anyone for any reason. Such a deity is definitely not worthy of our worship or praise. Such a one is only to be feared.

Jesus taught about a very different God than what is portrayed in such popular, but misguided words.

Jesus taught about a God to whom one responds in freedom, granting people like the Rich Young Ruler the liberty to walk away from what God desired for and from him. Jesus taught about a God who forgives when we do what we should not do. Paul writes about it being God's will to redeem all of humanity. Jesus cries over Jerusalem, saying "How I would have gathered you to myself, but you would not."

The God of Jesus is not one who manipulates all aspects of human history like the Greek Fates. This is a God who responds to us and calls us to respond freely in return. This is a God of love, not a commandeering tough guy who never takes, "No!" for an answer. Instead of wielding power in the form of coercion, Jesus teaches us that God's power is revealed in weakness.

Perhaps, the problem is we are too wrapped up in abusive concepts of toxic masculinity and want to cast those notions upon God without stopping to reflect on how the Bible actually presents God.

We know better, or at least, we should. It is not God's will that baby Joey died of cancer. It is not God's will that Sierra was raped and impregnated at age ten. It is not God's will that Jenny overdosed while attempting to medicate the pain of her trauma. It is not God's will that Phillip shot a bunch of kids at the local school. It is not God's will or design that so many lives were taken in the most recent hurricane.

Claiming tragedy as God's will is often an excuse to keep from looking at our own complicity behind so many tragedies we encounter. We could address climate change and take steps to reverse or ameliorate it, but we don't really want to. We could address how many toxins and carcinogens we release into our environment, but we don't really want to. We could address the scourge of toxic masculinity and how society allows rapists to believe they have the right to inflict themselves on others, but we don't really want to.

All the tragedy in the world is not directly tied to the failures of humanity, but so many of them are. We fail to care for the needs of those around us, even as God repeatedly calls us to do so. We fail to care for the environment on which we depend for our own survival. We fail to treat one another as God's beloved creation. That is on us. The toxicity is ours. It is not of God's doing. God is not toxic, despite how we misrepresent the Divine.

Rather than blaming God for everything that happens, our response should be a bit different. God did not cause the wreck in which my friend died. God is, however, aware of my grief, my pain, and my sense of loss. God is also grieved by tragedy all around us. After all, the prophets called out Israel repeatedly for creating the conditions in which poverty, injustice, and oppression could thrive. God was aware of Israel's pain and suffering. God walked with them through their experiences of oppression.

A healthier and more theologically responsible response might be, "God is aware of your grief, pain, and loss. God grieves with you. How can I walk this road with you?"


— ©Copyright 2022, Christopher B. Harbin 



http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

False Accusations

Image
The religious community around Jesus had no kind words about sectors of society. They were certain Torah provided full justification for blanket condemnation of Samaritans, tax collectors, and a women caught in adultery and thrown at Jesus’ feet. Jesus embraced them with no condemnation. They were so sure Jesus was a threat. They were seeking any means of silencing him. They were not above false accusations or paying people to lie about Jesus’ supposed breaches of law. The accusations did not hold up to scrutiny. I’ve been to numerous drag shows at East Frank. I’ve been to drag story hour. I’ve developed relationships with many among the clientele at East Frank, with drag performers, with queer people around us, and others who support this community. I have also heard all sorts of accusations tossed out against them. None of the accusations stands up to scrutiny. I’ve seen videos merging clips from adult drag shows with scenes from East Frank. I’ve heard and s
Read more

Something More Important

Image
I was given a new title recently. It was not one I had ever expected to receive. I’ve had lots of titles over the years. I’ve been minister of music. I’ve been evangelism director. I’ve been Sunday school teacher. I’ve been summer missionary. I’ve been youth leader. I’ve been seminarian. I’ve been church planter. I’ve been pastor. I’ve been professor. I’ve been missionary. I’ve been guest lecturer. I’ve been interpreter. Over the years, I have been licensed to preach twice. I’ve been ordained. I’ve been commissioned six times. I’m currently in the process of having my ordination recognized by another denomination. While I have embraced those events setting me apart for Christian service, I can’t say any of those events quite measure up to the new title I was recently given. A couple of weeks ago, I was at a family-friendly drag show. It was not the first time. Since helping Union County, NC host its first Pride festival last year, I have been around a company of drag que
Read more

The Gospel Is Not Conservative

Image
Fundamentalism and conservativism are intrinsically averse to change. They are tied with conserving a status quo or moving back to a former era. They seek a safe place, a respite from change and transformation in the world around them. They are threatened by new ideas. They fear that the foundations on which they base their lives will be uprooted, causing their view of reality to fall apart. Growth depends on change. Life requires change. Survival depends on responding to changes in our environment. It requires new ideas. It requires new answers to old questions, as well as new questions with even newer answers. Jesus was by no means conservative. Jesus challenged the status quo. He fought against the groundwork of much of the religious thought around him, as well as the structures erected to empower its values. He called out those who benefited from social, religious, and political power. He demonstrated God's love, forgiveness and grace to those deemed una
Read more