I read the book of Habakkuk today. I was feeling Old Testamenty. We're talking about Judaism in my Religion class, maybe that's why. I really love Habakkuk (the book.) because Habakkuk [I'm going for a record of how many times I can say Habakkuk in one post...] is burdened with the injustice he sees around him. He asks God why He's not doing anything, and he asks God why He allows him to see all that is around him because it breaks his heart. God responds to Habakkuk, and says, "Look among the nations and watch- Be utterly astounded! For I will do a work in your days which you would not believe though it were told you." God proceeds to tell Habakkuk that He will bring salvation, that He will bring justice. Sometimes it's really hard to believe that. Sometimes as I hear about people's lives or watch people struggling with things, it's hard to believe that God is even watching, or that if He is, somehow He doesn't care or can't become involved. That is the opposite of true. This past Sunday at church Mr. McCarthy spoke about forgiveness and how hard it can be to forgive those who commit terrible injustices against us. He asked us to think about if we had anyone we needed to forgive. Someone asked, what if when they thought about it, the "person" they felt had wronged them was God. I think that scripture makes it very clear that wrestling with God is completely permissable. I think people feel like if they are struggling with God than it is somehow unholy or blasphemous. I think that there are completly respectful ways to engage God and not understand, or even agree with what He's doing. If your God cannot handle your questions and your doubts then you might want to rethink why you believe in Him. Sometimes we have to just know that God's Word is truth even if we don't feel it and even if it doesn't fit into our experiances. And God responds with, "watch and be astounded."
I want to.
currently listening to: The Decemberists
real time: 8:42
currently reading: Sidewalks in the Kingdom, The Three Musketeers...It never ends.
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3 comments:
I read Habakkuk recently... it is so good, and I feel like it's super relevant. And I like how he asked God, "why?" It makes me feel not so alone in not knowing the answers.
hey, where's all the cameron!?
Em I think you could have snuck Habakkuk in there a bunch more. So I was all geared up for all these Habakkuk's, and then it didn't happen. Now what, I am not too sure. Now I am going to have to write about Habakkuk on my blog site as compensation. Will you read it?
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