I don't know how many times over the past few days that I have heard someone praise God for surviving one of the spate of tornadoes that have dropped from the skies in the Midwest. An angel wrapped us in his arms, one person said, while another thanked the Lord for sparing the life of this fellow's daughter.
You hear or read of these kinds of testimonials after each and every disaster of almost any kind. I suppose people need to manufacture an explanation as to why they happened to live through what others did not. I've often wondered what the dead -- if they could still think and talk -- would have to say about these pronouncements. Why weren't THEIR prayers answered? Why was their no angel to keep THEM out of harm's way?
In a manner of speaking, it seems rather egotistical to think that this person deserves God's mercy, but not THAT person. To say that God saved you from a horrible death, while not saving your sibling, parent, neighbor or a stranger, sounds as if you think you alone are extra special in God's eyes.
For me, the difference between who lives and who dies can be better explained by random chance. I'm not suggesting that there aren't concrete variables in play, but they often are beyond human comprehension. So, in our minds, random chance is about the best explanation anyone can advance.
You hear or read of these kinds of testimonials after each and every disaster of almost any kind. I suppose people need to manufacture an explanation as to why they happened to live through what others did not. I've often wondered what the dead -- if they could still think and talk -- would have to say about these pronouncements. Why weren't THEIR prayers answered? Why was their no angel to keep THEM out of harm's way?
In a manner of speaking, it seems rather egotistical to think that this person deserves God's mercy, but not THAT person. To say that God saved you from a horrible death, while not saving your sibling, parent, neighbor or a stranger, sounds as if you think you alone are extra special in God's eyes.
For me, the difference between who lives and who dies can be better explained by random chance. I'm not suggesting that there aren't concrete variables in play, but they often are beyond human comprehension. So, in our minds, random chance is about the best explanation anyone can advance.
This is something that bothers me as well.
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