theodicy

One of my old religion professors in college has a weekly column in our newspaper. I usually read it. He wrote today about theodicy- how to reconcile God's goodness and sovereignty in the face of evil. He wrote about Haiti and the evil of the natural disaster there. The column quoted Archibald MacLeish's verse drama, "J.B."- "If God is God, He is not good. If God is good, He is not God." I recognize the complexity of this question, this dilemma for believers. Ultimately, the columnist says it's a matter of faith for him, that is, he believes that God is powerful and that God is good. I understand that. But I don't have that faith. For him, the question isn't why is there evil, but rather how can I best respond to it. I do connect with that. Action makes sense to me.

Alybug and Em ask about God. They want to know why God is important for some people. We're still watching Little House, and there's lots of God and church and churchy words like sin and salvation in those episodes (not as much in the books as in the TV show). In our Harriet Tubman story we've been working with in our lessons, the story of Moses plays a prominent role. Of course, they didn't know the story of Moses. So I told them. And then was asked the logical question, "Did that really happen?" That's Alybug. Always wanting to know the bottom line, the truth. I dodged the question. I know it's okay to not know all the answers. In fact, I think it's best to not know all the answers. For me, I don't know is more honest, more real. And yet, and yet, I want to have certainty. I'm still learning to rest in the I don't knows. For me there are so very many I don't knows.