WHY ? – by Greg Albrecht

At any age or stage of life, inquisitive problem-solving humans that we are, the question “why” may be the most unsatisfying inquiry in which our minds may ever engage.

The wide variety of answers we as pre-school age children receive, responding to what many adults regard as endless questions young children ask, are the first clue that our hunt for answers to “why” may not ever be fully answered to our satisfaction. Remember? Some answers appeased our desire to know “why” – others seemed to be evasive brush-offs – and then there were times we assumed our youthful enthusiasms were just being ignored. Sometimes it seemed to us that our parents were too busy to answer us… given our young age, we were then incapable of considering the possibility that they didn’t know the answer to our questions either.

When we started school our sensitivities about what others might think about our “stupid” questions may have caused us to cut way back on vocalizing “why” inquiries. But in the inner recesses of heart, mind and soul the questions about “why” never go away.

Later in life, often about the age and stage of retirement, we find more time to ponder the “why” questions. While the eyesight of senior citizens if often not what it used to be, aging gives those some who are now “a bit long in the tooth” a laser-like focus on the end of their earthly “race.” This late-in-life penetrating insight, birthed by life experiences, often motivates a resurgence of “why” questions. As in those “olden days” (our pre-school years) many of us again have little reluctance about others might think of our questions – many of us give vent to unanswered questions with unharnessed and unrestrained energy as we approach the finish line.

When “bad” things happen – when things we cannot explain happen – especially when inexplicable, seemingly unfair things happen to those near and dear to us, we humans are “first responders.” We hunger to know “why” so we send in the crime scene investigation (CSI) team.

CSI Investigates “Why”

On the deepest spiritual level, we yearn to know why God “let” or “allowed” an evil thing to happen. We see the pain, hurt, misery, grief, loss and death. We hurt for those who suffer. We hunger and thirst to know “why.” The best answer most of us can arrive at, when the majority of all perspectives and many nuances of this topic are considered, most Christians agree the facts are that God allows evil because he allows humans to make choices and to be the created beings he formed and shaped.

Human existence guarantees bad things – evil things. Sometimes the evil is caused by ourselves – sometimes our decisions bring about natural and inevitable consequences. We receive what we “order” from the menus life offers. Yet, even when there is no doubt that the suffering we humans are enduring is a direct result of the item we ordered from the menu, we find it incredibly difficult to accept our culpability. Denial is a common escape mechanism – we would rather blame others or blame God for the predicaments in which we find ourselves.

In his iconic song Margaritaville (1977) Jimmy Buffett famously advises accepting responsibility for our actions, as they are our “own damn fault.”

But then there are many times we suffer pain and sorrow because of the actions of others. When others actually did cause us pain and sorrow, this is a much easier conclusion with which we can agree. We can blame an obvious culprit – we can claim victim-hood – but then the question “why” still looms large. Why did God allow bad people to do bad things to hurt us? Why didn’t he stop them?

Then there is time and chance – an explanation lampooned by some as a cliché, until time and chance and accidents and unforeseen events happen in their lives – then it’s not a cliché anymore. Suffering results, there is no doubt, from being in the wrong place at the wrong time – when a flood occurs, an earthquake happens, a tsunami or tornado or typhoon wreaks havoc.

In many cases when people are faced with the dilemma about “Why God allows/permits/lets” bad things happen they often retreat to a simplistic comfort zone where they can ritualistically recite and remember cherished traditional beliefs that others may feel border on fatalistic superstition. Jesus never suggested a hunt (or witch hunt) to discover why God was so totally upset that he apparently allowed or actively caused x, y or z but instead Jesus taught that the sun God created rises, and the rain God sends arrives indiscriminately (seemingly) on the good guys and the bad guys (Matthew 5:45). Not a satisfying answer if Christless religion has convinced you that you can effectively control results as a result of your efforts!

Many who flee the simplistic comfort zone of superstitious conclusions in a search of more realistic answers take a deeper dive into more complex Christless religious beliefs that may lead to “better” (humanly at least) answers about why bad things happen. At this level the discussion still centers around human behavior, and in addition, to the so-called wrath of God. Bad things happen, many posit, because God is mad at us, because we (or those other unfortunates who are suffering) have failed to measure up. Those who wander down this garden path conclude those who are suffering are being taught a lesson. These more complex discussions about “why” also take another turn, implicating God as being far away, and not really caring … much… or not enough… in the plight of humanity.

Christ-centered faith leads us to acceptance of unanswered questions. Faith involves doubt, hurt, and worry… and stops short of assigning dogmatism to the motivations of God. Christless religion is filled with certainty, but much certainty is an illusion. Christ-centered faith involves reaching out to unseen hands of Someone whom we can follow and in whom we can believe.

Abiding faith is often without seen or heard or discoverable evidence, so the CSI expectation of seeking and finding satisfactory answers for all the “why” questions is not central to faith. Christ-centered faith is based on the Silent Sentinel of an empty cross and tomb.

Instead of being far off, as some surmise and presume, Jesus is one of us and with us. As our Shepherd he is not seen or audibly heard but here is always on watch with us, sleeping rough in the wilderness of our lives with us. He is the embodiment of all answers to all of our questions.

In A Room Called Remember Frederick Buechner notes that Jesus did not say “’What I say is the truth’ but instead, ‘I am the truth.’” Buechner suggests, “…he meant, among other things, that the truth cannot be fully caught in any expression of the truth in words but only in the great eloquence and complexity and simplicity of his own life.”

In these later years we often (it certainly has been true for me) don’t worry about not having as many answers as we once had – we don’t worry anymore about saying “I don’t know.” I now have far more questions than answers than I ever had, perhaps more than I had when I was of pre-school age. That said, by the grace of God, I have one Answer, my Rock of ages, through whom all my questions are focused and filtered.

“Why” = Why Indeed – Why Humans Act and Behave As We Do

As ugly as absolute answers to “why” can be on the spiritual level when we humans blame God, things can become even more reprehensible when we engage in a systematic methodological CSI investigation to determine who humanly is or was to blame for x, y or z. Humans who are predisposed to religious, political, national, racial and cultural beliefs spring into action after some crisis or horrific event, assigning responsibility to those who disagree with them, condemning others whom they dislike or even hate, as responsible for suffering.

The very next time a tragedy happens – perhaps mob violence in a metropolitan area – or in the horrific circumstances unfolding in Gaza and the Ukraine for example – step back and consider the name calling, the blame, the victimizing … in the midst of suffering. We humans arrive at widely and wildly different conclusions and accusations about blame, do we not?

Sadly, it seems suffering and heartache and grief is not enough – finding peace is not enough – it seems we humans must, driven by base desires and motives, find a scapegoat and hate a particular religion, political ideology, country, race and/or culture we determine to be guilty of inflicting suffering and heartache.

Jesus had nothing whatsoever to say that would fuel the human desire to see bad people pay and get theirs. He did have something to say about loving our neighbors and our enemies, as G.K. Chesterton once said, tongue firmly planted in cheek, perhaps in many cases because our neighbors and our enemies are the same people.

The blame game turns into hate, which fosters recrimination and payback, which in turn leads the trail for answers about “why” human suffering right back to the door of humanity.

As we search for “why” answers we are better served by pursuing the unending and unfathomable eternal love of God. It’s a longer journey to be sure. It’s not simplistic. The search for “why” when grounded in the love of God does not always fix things to our liking, it does not always provide absolute conclusions nor it does not give us comfortable, pleasant and easy-peasy answers.

For Christ followers “why” is grounded in the Cross of Christ. The peace of God, the rest we find in Christ, involves

· focusing on the Cross of Christ,

· receiving the love and grace of God,

· embracing uncertainty,

· living a life of faith without absolute certainty,

· accepting that God’s ways are higher and more profound than human ways, his answers seeming mysterious to us.

· accepting the reality that we will always, on this side of eternity, have unanswered questions.

God’s peace, resting in Christ, the Jesus Way, is the small gate and narrow road (Matthew 7:12-13) – the Jesus Way of life and faith. It’s the road far less taken than broad, multi-lane, fast track Christless religious super highways and toll roads.

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