It’s easy to sit here this morning and contemplate the goodness of God.  The cool, dry air and the bright blue sky make it seem that the world is all fine; things are as they are supposed to be.  God is in control.

Then, I think of Connie.  Only ten miles away, she is waking to the devastation of her home, and asking, “God, are you really in control?  Do you really care about me?  Why did you let this happen?”  Even devout followers are prone to ask such questions when tragedy strikes.  Isn’t God good as well as all-powerful?  It seems to show us that he is either not good, or not all-powerful!  And what kind of god is that?

Some of these things seem to take us back to the fundamentals of faith, like who God is.  But the rational explanation that the common christian settles upon is bland, dull, uninteresting . . . and lifeless.  That is, God is a good, kindly old grandfather who sits in heaven loving and blessing the good kids, and punishing the bad.

What?!