THE WILL OF GOD [W, 8-26-20]

 

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter

[I have told this story before, but I need to tell it again, because “the will of God” is always a problem, especially when one considers the viruses and natural disasters and politics of a time like this, and also it came up for discussion with the Guys in Glenn’s Garage last week, so…] [1]

When my older sister’s 18 and 19 year old sons were killed together in a car crash, I flew to California just to be with her and her husband, Dick, at that tragic time. When I got there, they asked me to do the funeral service. I did not want to. I was not sure I could. But it was the only gift I had to give to her at that time, and I have found that when I needed an extra strength to get through a hard time as a pastor, it always came. So I did the funeral. Two of them, as it turned out.

Two other boys were killed with Steve and Tony. My sister had known them since they were born. She said it was like losing four sons instead of just two.

The first funeral was in the morning, for all four boys, in the high school gym. The gym was filled to overflowing. I said, among other things, “This was NOT the will of God. God does not will that bright young men die in a tearing crash.”

The separate funeral for Steve and Tony was in the afternoon, at the funeral home. So many people came that the parking lot was full of standing mourners. The funeral directors set up loud speakers in the parking lot so everyone could hear. What they heard, in part, was, “This was NOT the will of God. God does not will that bright young men shall die in such a way.

That evening, as the darkness came on, Dick and I sat in his study, no lamps on, not talking much, just sitting together. People came and went in the rest of the house. One who came was the president of the sports booster club. Tony had been the football quarterback, so Dick knew him well. He sat with us for a while, then turned to me and said, “As you said this afternoon, it was the will of God.”

I was flabbergasted. I know I am not the best preacher in the world, but I always thought I was at least a clear communicator. I was told early by a preaching prof that we should preach so well not that we could be understood but so that we could not be misunderstood. I knew it was impossible, but that clarity was always my goal. Now… how could this man…

Then, I think by the grace of God, I got it. He understood what I was really trying to say. What people mean at a time like that, when they say, “It’s the will of God,” is not that God pulled strings to cause something to happen, or even that God is okay with it. They mean, “God is still in charge. God is love, and death does not conquer love. When all else is gone, love remains.” That IS the will of God.

John Robert McFarland

1] Don’t worry; Glenn has a very big garage, so we are adequately distanced.