PBPC Daily - April 16
Dear Friends,
Good morning and welcome to Thursday. It is a dangerous thing to watch or read the news these days; while it is important to stay informed and to know what's going on during this pandemic, the grim news of daily death statistics and a crumbling economy can cast a dark cloud upon our hearts and minds.
I've read a couple of articles in national publications lately that have been very helpful. In response to the question of "Why is this happening?", N.T. Wright responds that Christianity does not answer these sorts of questions. Rather, we are presented with a God who calls us to lament over the suffering, and who also joins us in the midst of our suffering. His article is here: https://time.com/5808495/coronavirus-christianity/
| | It's not supposed to |
On Easter Sunday, Ross Douthat responded in the NY Times, saying "The purpose of suffering may be mysterious, but the search for meaning is obligatory." His article is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-religion.html?smid=em-share
 | The purpose of suffering may be mysterious, but the search for meaning is obligatory. By Ross Douthat Opinion Columnist A woman prayed at the door of Westminster Cathedral, which was closed due to ... |
I loved both of these articles, and I think that they present a good balance for us as Christians. Like Job, we should not profess to understand the ways of God or assume that we can discern the purpose of suffering or tragedy. But that does not mean that the experience of this time is meaningless to us. Each one of us is experiencing this crisis in a different way, and God wants to use this time as an opportunity for us to grow into something more than we are right now.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
As we seek God's will for our lives during these trying times, we can trust that He is at work - both in our difficult circumstances and in our hearts - to fulfill His good plans for us and to form us into the people He's created us to be.
Have a blessed day,
Pastor Chris
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