Every Christian will eventually have to work through his or her theodicy (i.e. Why does a good God let bad things happen to people?). Some will swing to the side of hyper-Calvinism, which sees God as the author of all manner of evil, from the Holocaust to the hangnail. Others will see God as an eternal victim of a universe gone wrong, as He battles to wrest control from Satan, who alone is responsible for everything that can, from a human perspective, be labeled “bad.”

I’ve been reading Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God, and he makes what appears to be an offhand statement that I thought shed profound light on the question as to whether God causes suffering. He asks, “How can we experience God’s comfort if we never experience suffering?” This same question could be asked about many of the other ways we experience God:

• How can we experience God’s provision, if we do not experience want?
• How can we experience God’s mercy, if we are not aware of His wrath?
• How can we experience God’s protection, if we live a life devoid of danger?
• How can we experience God’s healing, if we never suffer illness?
• How can we experience God’s freedom, if we have never known bondage?

One could argue that these instances are simply God following Satan around, redeeming all the bad things he does. But what if He sovereignly ordains some of these experiences so that we may know Him better?

Oh you’ll meet the Lord in the furnace,
A long time before you meet Him in the sky.
- Rich Mullins, “Where You Are”

For three years he was my next-door neighbor while we both endured the trials and enjoyed the camaraderie of seminary. We critiqued each other’s research papers. We played Axis & Allies (the board game) ’til 3 a.m., then spent two hours arguing whether it was possible for Japan to successfully invade the U.S. We went to the midnight showing of The Two Towers and laughed at the guy dressed up like Gandalf. We drank Lapsang Souchong tea and then had to open the windows to air out the apartment. We discussed Karl Barth and Simon Chan, Buddhism and Eastern Orthodoxy. I used to tell Andy he had a mind like a steel trap in his ability to absorb vast quantities of information, synthesize it and then communicate it in an understandable fashion. He and his wife shared countless meals with us, treated our kids as if they were their own, and visited us when they moved to Florida. (The photo is me trying–unsuccessfully–to carry him.)

We were planning on spending this past weekend with the Widmans, when I received a call from Susanna Friday morning telling me that Andy, a Fort Myers police officer, had been killed in the line of duty 2 o’clock that morning.

Trying to understand why a sovereign God allowed this to happen is impossible. Whether or not a sovereign God ordained this to happen is even more difficult–and the type of question Andy and I would often ask each other. He was a man who never shied away from exploring these tough questions, and I am richer for having him as a friend. Now, all I can think about and pray for is his wife and precious children who are facing a future without him in their lives. This is a burden that only God’s grace can help them bear.

I wasn’t intentionally doing any research on “evil” lately, but an article, two books and a film and a book of the Bible have all presented a perfect storm of insight on evil (and how God deals with it):

First, N.T. Wright’s wonderful little book, Evil and the Justice of God, explores the theodicy issue in a very readable manner. The core truth I came away with: Evangelicals (and political figures, when it’s convenient) have a habit of talking about “evildoers” as the others … a category separate from us as good people. Yet, this marginalization of evil is incorrect and unbiblical. God is clear that the thread of evil runs through every culture, government, institution and individual and must be addressed straightforwardly as my problem. …

Next, Elephant, an independent film inspired by the events of the Columbine shootings, explores the last day of two teenage killers–and their victims. It’s not an enjoyable movie, but it unflinchingly demonstrates how the narcissism and cliques in high school culture can become a breeding ground for appalling evil. I was struck again with admiration for the youth pastors and teachers who reach out to kids on the brink of such rage and self-destruction. Who knows what evil they hold back!

I wouldn’t recommend reading this article in the Dallas Observer, about a demon-possessed “pastor” in Fort Worth who abused countless women for 25 years. Suffice it to say, it’s disturbing to be reminded that evil of this magnitude can be found in the place where people should be going for safety and restoration.

Another great little book is Forgiving the Dead Man Walking, by Debbie Morris. Andy and I both read this and were inspired by the author’s account of being kidnapped and raped by two escaped inmates–and her harrowing journey to wholeness. It was amazing to see the power of forgiveness to overcome the effects of evil.

Finally, in reading through the minor prophets, it’s clear that God often sends unlikely voices to stand up against evil. It’s almost comical to imagine that anyone took Amos seriously at the time–a shepherd/prophet from the backwater village of Tekoa, in Judah, railing against the injustice and immorality of the neighboring kingdom of Israel, recounting visions of earthquakes and disaster in a time of unprecedented prosperity.

“Who does he think he is coming up here and talking like this to us … ?!”