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November 2007 VOICE OF SHALOM |
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A CASE AGAINST GOD? A personal relationship with God and an abandonment to his will can prevent man from being demeaned and save him from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism. An authentically religious attitude prevents man from presuming to judge God, accusing him of allowing poverty and failing to have compassion for his creatures. When people claim to build a case against God in defence of man, on whom can they depend when human activity proves powerless? Certinaly Job could complain before God about the presence of incomprehensible and apparently unjustified suffering in the world. In his pain he cried out: "Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!... I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? ... Therefore I am terrified at his presence; where I consider, I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me" (Job 23:3,5-6,15-16). Often we cannot understand why God refrains from intervening. Yet he does not prevent us from crying out, like Jesus on the Cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46). We should continue asking this question in prayerful dialogue before his face: "Lord, holy and true, how long will it be?" (Rev. 6:10). It is St Augustine who gives us faith's answer to our sufferings: "Si comprehendis, non est Deus" - "if you understand him, he is not God."
Pope Benedict XVI
Deus Caritas Est | |
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