By Mark McGee
My Take
Sometimes bad things happen we can’t control and can’t explain.
There is no rhyme or reason to these events. They just happen to good people.
An excited expectant mother is told her baby is not viable after an ultrasound.
A young, talented college student taking an afternoon walk is hit in the head by a stray bullet and is hanging onto life by a thread.
Children and adults in a school are gunned down for no apparent reason except the shooter had a sick mind.
A vehicle crossing an intersection is suddenly hit killing those inside because someone was drunk and/or speeding.
A person dies of a heart attack while enjoying an amusement park with his family.
A brilliant and good person is selected at random by someone wanting to steal a car and is eventually murdered.
People suffer through agonizing pain due to severe illnesses or injuries.
These unfortunate events are numerous and many have either experienced, or been there for a family member of friend, when such unexpected and unexplained events have occurred.
It leaves you asking why, and the toughest thing to fathom is you probably never really will understand why. We honestly want to know why and there is the rub. We really can’t know or understand why.
Harold S. Kushner, in his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”, writes, “Laws of nature do not make exceptions for nice people. A bullet has no conscience; neither does a malignant tumor or an automobile gone out of control. That is why good people get sick and get hurt as much as anyone.”
Kushner’s book, written in the 1980s is often quoted and one of several attempts to answer the question of why bad things happen to good people. A lot of words, but I’m not sure if they offer any real solutions.
In these situations involving unexplained tragedy we don’t really know which way to go or what to do.
Saying we are sorry maybe makes us feel better, but it really is an empty sentiment to those affected.
Truly, how can we feel more useless than trying to help people living in the aftermath of terrible, unexpected tragedies? All we can really do is be there for those in need and provide comfort the best way we can.
God allowed his own son, Jesus Christ, to suffer so why should we not expect to have bad times in our lives?
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans chapter 28, verse 8, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
When we deal with such unexplainable issues in our lives, we believe what the Bible says, but we sometimes find it hard to fully comprehend.
We will only find the answer in eternity.
