Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Job loses his wealth and his children. He suffers from physical ailments. He’s been a good person, living a faithful life. He just wants to know why.
And aren’t we the same? We or a loved one are struck down by illness. We lose someone close to us in a senseless accident. We get downsized. The house gets foreclosed upon. We are forced to rely on the generosity of friends or governmental assistance. And while the indignities and pains are hard, the feeling that God has abandoned us is even harder. We just want to know why.
In today’s first reading, God responds to Job out of a whirlwind in a lengthy speech, in essence saying, Who are you to question me? Did you create the universe? Do you understand how it all works, how it all interrelates?
Humbled, Job acknowledges his small place in the world… and pledges to stop questioning the Father’s wisdom.
“Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again; though twice, I will do so no more.”
Ultimately, it works out for Job… his earthly wealth is restored and then some. That doesn’t always happen for the rest of us. Sometimes, we slog on for decades or to our deaths. We say God’s going to have some explaining to do when we see Him in Heaven. And that attitude, rather than Job’s acceptance of his lot, only drives us further and further from the Lord while we’re here. Better then, to put aside the complaining, no matter how difficult the burden, and to offer praise in preparation for that meeting rather than waste time compiling a list of whys that may never be answered.
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