​GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.

“Why doesn’t God DO something about the suffering in this world?” This question often sits at the heart of why people struggle with having faith in God. It is often the reason people choose to reject the idea of God, to be an A- (meaning “not” in Greek) Theist (one who assents to the existence of the Divine). It is a fair question and should not be dismissed.

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Often our only answer to the question, “Why doesn’t God do something?” is simply, “Well, you just have to have faith.”  That’s not very helpful, is it? I think we can do better. The answer we should begin with is, “God has done and is doing something about the pain and suffering right now.” Careful though, if you answer this way, you will need to be prepared to point to evidence.

First, God has done something about the suffering and pain by entering into it and sharing it with all of humanity. That is what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is about. Jesus became God crucified for our sake. We can never be alone in our suffering when God is in it with us. This historical moment and spiritual truth create a foundation of faith and confidence we can summon in the face of all suffering. But is that all? The critic will say this is not very concrete. 

Second, equipped with the faith born of the Spirit, God’s people become the hands and feet of Christ. If we expect that God’s work is to address the suffering of the world, it is then the hands and feet of the faithful who carry out the work in the world. That is why, every year, we organize our God’s work. Our hands. emphasis which works to care for and bless hundreds of people in our community. God’s Work, done by our hands, does something about the suffering of the world right here, right now. 

With our hands, God will bless 350-400 people on Thanksgiving Day who must work and miss what the rest of us celebrate. With our hands, God will bless residents of Mosaic group homes and host homes with gifts and pie. With our hands, God will bless homeless youth through the Iowa Homeless Youth Shelter gifts we provide. With our hands, God will bless homeless men, immigrant families, and the elderly with care and attention they need. With our hands, God will bless the homebound of this congregation with cards and fruit baskets so they can feel the love of Christ.

If God is to DO something about the troubles of this world, we need your hands. Check out the opportunities for this year by clicking here.

Pax Christi, 
Tim Olson – Lead Pastor