(Note: These thought about human tragedy were adapted from a message I presented to the Shanghai International Fellowship just after the Easter Holiday in 2002.)

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”

Where is God When Bad Things Happen

(by Michael Krigline, Shanghai, April 2002 www.krigline.com)

The title of today’s meditation is “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” Or--since my Aramaic is worse than my Chinese--“Where is God when bad things happen.”

I think it is safe to assume that everyone has, at some point in his or her life, had something bad happen. Tragedies and crises come in all shapes and sizes, and usually come with no warning. At these painful times, it is universally common to look up toward Heaven and ask “why?” If you have ever felt that way, take heart, for you are in good company. The title of this article is taken from the last words of Jesus, who asked God “why have you forsaken me?” while dieing on a cross. Furthermore, Jesus was quoting a poem written 1000 years earlier, when Israel’s most powerful king asked the same question (i.e. King David: “the man after God’s own heart” 1 Sam 13:14).

My wife and I have also had several recent occasions to ask God “why?” In October, Vivian’s Dad (in the US) broke his leg, and while he was recovering in the hospital he had a heart attack. In January we started to look for a recording studio here in Shanghai (this was in response to many requests from friends who want a CD of the songs I’ve written); it’s now four months later and the project has been hindered at every turn. Last month, our grown daughter (also in the US) fainted at work, was diagnosed with Epilepsy, and thereby lost her teaching job, income, and drivers’ license. My wife, son and I all got sick last month, too; myself getting the worst case and being laid up in bed for a while. And this sickness came at a terrible time--my workload had almost doubled and I had no time to lie around ill. (The added work came after earnestly seeking God’s will about a certain opportunity that turned out to be far more complicated than I expected--again leading to the question “why?”). And as if that were not enough, two weeks ago my own father suffered a heart attack. Add to these all the daily “whys” that come with living and working in a foreign country, and one can really wonder if our lives are really on the right track, especially since (as Christians) we trust God’s promise to help us make each day count.

Words fail us when trying to mentally process situations like these, or tragedies like September 11, or when loved ones die of cancer, or whatever you are going through now. But during times like these there is almost a universal temptation to simply look up and ask the question: “Why?” “Why is this happening to me?” “God, why have You forsaken me?”

Before we look for an answer to these questions, or a prescription for these situations, let’s take a minute to look at the question itself.

First, our tendency to “look up” and ask “why” tells us more than most of us realize. Deep down, the vast majority of us (Christian and non-Christian) still believe that there is Someone "up there" bigger than ourselves, and that there is some “purpose” for our lives. We believe this in spite of decades of so-called science and philosophy that have tried to convince us that we are the "height" of some meaningless evolutionary process. After all, if Man is earth’s highest power, and if life has no plot nor point, it is absurd to ask “why?”

Likewise, if asking "why?" shows that we believe in a life that is supposed to make sense, asking it of God/Heaven demonstrates that we believe in a God who is supposed to make sense. We believe this in spite of the many religions (past and present) that present gods with no purpose for themselves nor for their human subjects. Ancient western gods were flawed and jealous; they got angry, and they manipulated human lives as a form of entertainment. Many eastern religions present gods who are either similar to human-like western gods, or who live too far above our world to be bothered with its problems. If that is the character of God, surely there is no reason to ask the question "why?"!

But that is not the character of the God of the Bible (who, interestingly, shares many characteristics with supreme ancient God of China--神州之神). Our God does not sport around with His creation, but chooses to partner with us in that great work for which He set everything in motion. His partners are introduced to the drama with varying talents and gifts. We are allowed to play a certain number of scenes, and then when our task is accomplished He doesn’t throw us off like an old shoe! Those who have chosen to become His children (an invitation extended to all) are welcomed home, and then He rewards us with honor and splendor and bestows upon us power and glory according to what we have done!

When we ask God "why" we reveal a sincere belief that there is a purpose for our lives. Our hearts resonate with the scriptural truth that "life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions" (Luke 12:15); but what are we here for? How can we leave something behind that will outlive us--something that will make the world a better place to live?

What is the purpose of life? The Bible says that our purpose is to glorify God. He said He made us "that we might be to the praise of His Glory" (Eph 1:12). And while our finite minds cannot conceive how a tragedy could work "for the praise of His Glory," we must also remember that this same God said He "causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). History is full of examples of how God has taken tragedy and made glory out of it. Surely He is able to do the same where our own friends and family are concerned.

To me, there is great comfort in knowing that I am playing a part in the vast drama of life, as God works out His own greater purpose through time and eternity. Ephesians 3:10-11 agrees with Shakespeare that "all the world’s a stage," but there is a plot and a point to the story! God’s "intent" is to make known His "manifold wisdom" to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places (Paul is talking about demonic powers who believe that evil will win in the end). God is at work creating a living, spotless Bride for His Son to hold before the throngs of Heaven at the end of time, crying out: "Look what I have done! Isn’t she beautiful? Good has triumphed over evil!"

So, we see that our questions themselves tell us a lot. In asking God “why” we affirm our belief in a sinless God of order who is at work in a decaying and sin-filled world to produce a spotless Bride. This affirmation should leave any thinking person pointing the finger of blame at the mostly unseen conflict between good and evil, and not at the God who offers purpose, forgiveness and eternal life to all of the foot-soldiers in this conflict.

God’s Answers

Next we move to God’s answers to the question “why?” You know, the Bible actually gives a couple answers. One is found in Habakkuk. The prophet asked the question pretty much like we ask it: "Why do You tolerate wrong? How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen?" (Hab 1:2,3). God’s answer is basically ‘don't worry about it’! "The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him" (Hab 2:20). He tells the prophet, "Look and be utterly amazed! I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told!" (Hab 1:5). So, perhaps God doesn’t tell us “why” because we wouldn’t believe or like the answer (as was the case in Habakkuk’s time).

Another answer is given through the prophet Haggai. God told him the people had planted, earned and expected much, but had little to show for it. Why? Again, you probably won’t like the Bible’s answer. God told Haggai it was because those who claimed to be God’s people were so busy tending to their own lives that they were neglecting the real purpose for their existence. This may or may not be the case in our trials, but the lesson still applies--as Jesus put it: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt 6:33).

Jesus himself answers the question in Luke 13. He deals specifically with the false notion that "bad things only happen to bad people." A couple of tragedies had recently occurred. First, a wicked ruler had killed some people from Jesus’ home area for no apparent reason. Then a large building had collapsed, killing innocent people. Some of the witnesses were troubled and approached Jesus with their questions. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, NO! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, NO! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

So, we see that the Bible answers these questions, but it doesn’t exactly give us a complete answer. Yet maybe this is the point. Maybe the answer is not as important as the question itself, for in just asking it we are pointed “up” to the Answer.

Perhaps as Jesus’ disciples were "looking up" at their departing, resurrected Lord they remembered His promise: "I will not leave you as orphans . . ." (John 14:18). Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit whom He would send to those who believed in Him--the same Holy Spirit (or Comforter) whose name means "the One who walks beside us." In our times of grief that is what we really need: a Comforter-friend who will walk beside us. Maybe heaven’s solution for our times of trial and tragedy is not an answer, it is simply a relationship with the Answer whom God promised to “send down” before the question was ever asked.

Singer Michael Card put it this way:

Could it be You make Your presence known

so often by Your absence?

Could it be that questions tell us more

than answers ever do?

Could it be that You would really rather die

than live without us?

Could it be the only answer that means anything

is You?!

Prescription for Times of Pain

Finally, having considered the question “why” and the Bible’s answer (which is really more like a call to relationship than an answer), let us conclude by looking at the Bible’s prescription for our times of pain.

“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” These are the pain-filled words of Jesus, who, dying one of the cruelest forms of death ever devised by mankind, found the strength to quote Scripture. I believe it was no “coincidence” that the first line of Psalm 22 came from my Savior’s mouth in that moment of horror, compounded infinitely by God the Father’s need to turn away from His Son as the weight of the world’s sin -- YOUR sin and MY sin -- was heaped upon his Holy shoulders. Much of Psalm 22 foretold the events of the crucifixion (see my footnote). King David’s situation obviously seemed just as hopeless when he penned those words. But in spite of the pain and loneliness, in spite of the natural tendency to look up and ask God “WHY” -- David does not end his Psalm in a note of despair.

If you turn to Psalm 22 you will find the Bible’s prescription for the pain-filled times when we would ask Heaven “why.” That prescription, in a word, is “praise.”

Now, we all know that praising God is not natural or easy to do in times of pain -- it is not like swallowing a candy-coated pill. It is more like the way my son takes liquid cold medicine. My wife puts the little cup of red liquid on the dining table, and calls our son to take his medicine. All of a sudden he has a thousand things to do -- he has to look for his slippers, he washes his hands (slowly), he dries them (carefully), he pours himself a cup of water, and when he can delay no longer he picks up the cup, puts it in front of his turned up nose, and tries to convince his lips to open (unsuccessfully). He counts to three (forward, then backward). He does everything he can to postpone the inevitable moment when the “gosh awful medicine” hits his tongue, coats his throat, and winds up in his little body where -- wonder of wonders -- it starts to make him feel better.

It is not always easy to praise the Lord, especially when “bad things happen.” But it is God’s prescription for deliverance; not necessarily immediate deliverance from the trial, but deliverance from the unseen powers that bind and cast down your soul! If you can think of nothing to say to God in that moment -- no way to praise Him -- just turn and recite Psalm 22. That is why God has given it to you! Mark it now in your Bible -- if you do not need it today, trust me there will come a time when you will! Begin with it’s loud, lamenting initial cry: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” But as you continue reading, let the Holy Spirit remind you of the One who suffered on the cross, when men pierced his hands and feet, waged their heads at him, gambled for his clothes, and even His Father turned His Head and brought Jesus to the dust of death [Ps 22:15]. But do not stop there at verse 15. Follow David to the end, when -- through praise -- hope is reborn.

Join me now in reading together part of the end of Psalm 22 from the New Living version (starting in verse 23):

²³ Praise the Lord, all you who fear him!

Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob!

Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴ For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy.

He has not turned and walked away.

He has listened to their cries for help.

²⁵ I will praise you among all the people…

²⁷ The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.

People from every nation will bow down before him.

²⁸ For the Lord is king!

He rules all the nations.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

It was a common practice in the time of Jesus for a teacher to recite the first verse of a Psalm, and then his disciples would recite the rest of the passage. If this is the case here, Jesus was calling His disciples to think forward, past the “why?” question, and past the prophecies and horrors of His crucifixion. He wanted them to think forward through praise to the time when (quote) “The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. People from every nation will bow down before him.” [22:27] You see, to Jesus the cross was never “the end.” The cross was where life would “begin” -- for us and all who would one day bow down before a risen Savior whose shed blood alone could provide the power to forgive sin and restore a fallen race into a relationship with God the Father -- to the utter amazement of heaven’s powers and principalities.

So Jesus’ dying question (“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”) stands to offer hope for all of us in our times of despair. And it can just as accurately serve as a statement of faith -- a faith that was full of praise and which looked into the future to see deliverance, pardon, restoration, and the unstoppable expansion of the Kingdom of God.

According to the writer of Hebrews (from Heb 12:2-11--NKJV):

…For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I would be doing my Lord an injustice if I didn’t update you on the situations mentioned earlier -- my own reasons for looking up and asking “why.” I am pleased to report that both Vivian’s Dad and my Dad are out of the hospital and are doing fine. Our daughter still has Epilepsy but we are thankful for the medicine God allowed humans to discover which will allow her to live a pretty normal life. I have finished the “killer” project that demanded so much of my time, and the extra income will help with the recording project, which is scheduled to start this coming week. Somebody say “Praise the Lord!”

Where is God when “bad things happen”? He is only a praise away. Praise is heaven’s prescription for any difficult situation here below, and God’s answer to man’s deepest need is not the removal of evil but the offer of a relationship with our Maker. As you and I look up and ask “why,” God is looking down and drawing us to look ahead. He calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him, not simply to death but to the joy that waits on the other side of the cross. For as Easter reminded us, the tomb is empty! The cross is where life begins.

Footnote:
Easter (Resurrection Day) is a wonderful time of celebration. But this message takes us back three days before Easter, to the side of Jesus as He cries out “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” From this most desperate cry, maybe we can find an answer for the times in our own lives “when bad things happen.” This cry is the first line of Psalm 22, and now, as I recount the events of Good Friday, please notice the other references to Ps. 22 in brackets.

They brought Jesus to Golgotha (also called Calvary or Place of a Skull). There they crucified Him by piercing His hands and feet [Ps 22: 16]. As the cross was raised His bones went out of joint [Ps 22: 14]. Then the Gentile soldiers surrounded Him [Ps 12 & 16] and divided His garments, gambling over them by casting lots [Ps 22:18]. With Him they also crucified two robbers, so the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” [Isa 53:12] And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads [Ps 22:7] and saying, “save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He trusts in God, let Him deliver him now, if He takes pleasure in him [Ps 22:8]” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. [Ps 22:6-7] Now when 12 noon had come, there was darkness over the whole land until 3 o’clock when Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” [Ps 22:1] which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
(adapted from Mark 15:22-35 & Matt 27:43)

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