Why Would God Allow...

My daughter Zemira is at the cruising age. While it is a fun age it also comes with a lot of bumps and bruises. I don't like to see my baby get hurt and do whatever I can to prevent it from happening, but it still happens. Even though I do not like to see her get hurt there is something that happens when she does that makes my heart swell with pride and love.
If Toby is around he will stop whatever he is doing and rush to comfort her. It does not matter to him that I have already scooped her up and am comforting her. He wants to be a part of the comforting. He will pat her tenderly and talk soothingly to her and if that fails he will sing her favorite song ("I Like to Move It" from the Madagascar movies). Eventually, Zemira will stop crying and at least smile at her loving big brother.
There is a lot of pain in this world. I along with probably everybody have at one time uttered the words, "Why would God allow . . . (fill in your tragedy of choice)?". I don't have a satisfying answer to this age old question, but I do have some thoughts.
I am by no means the best father in the world, but even I want to prevent my daughter from getting hurt. God is the best father in the universe, so it stands to reason that God wants the same for his children. God does not like it when we get hurt. He does what he can to prevent us from getting hurt. But for whatever reason it still happens. We get hurt. Our family gets hurt, our friends get hurt, the world gets hurt.
Admittedly it is at this point that I usually begin to rant at God, showering him with "whys" and "where were yous" but seeing how Toby reacts to Zemira when she is in pain got me thinking. What if my response is the wrong one? God has yet to answer my anguished, angry why's. What if in his silence God is looking for my obedience? What if he is waiting for us to mourn with those who mourn? To comfort the broken hearted? When Zemira is hurt Toby does not turn to me and start angrily asking me why I let her get hurt, no he rushes in to comfort her.
What if instead of questioning God we did what my son does? What if we dropped whatever we were doing and rushed to comfort those who are hurting? What if we stepped in and comforted the hurting, easing their pain with tender touch and singing?
I think our Father's heart would swell with pride and love.

An Altar Call

Toby and I have been studying the Civil War and subsequently slavery. This led to my son asking, "Does slavery still exist today?" Unfortunately the answer is "Yes."
This is hard for some people to believe. When I first brought this issue to the attention of some of my friends I was met with skepticism and disbelief. But slavery exists today, and denying it or excusing it away will do nothing to end it. Action is needed.
I read somewhere (probably Sojourner's magazine) that the altar call was started by abolitionist preachers. When people responded to Christ their faith was immediately put into action by signing up for the abolitionist movement.
Becoming a Christian also meant becoming an Abolitionist.
The same should be true today.
Become a modern day Abolitionist. Check out these resources and get involved:
Call + Response
IJM
Not for sale
Anti-slavery