old man in the sky or batman in the wings?

I was watching an interview the other day by Richard Dawkins where he interviewed the Christian theologian and apologist, Alister McGrath. The question Dawkins couldn't seem to get his head around was that of suffering. Many people struggle with this issue. If God is who Christians say he is, can't he stop the tsunami and save all the thousands of people who would otherwise die? Why does he let good people die of cancer, or let earthquakes devastate people's lives? Why, if he really is good, and if he really is God, can't he save us when we seem to need him most?

One thing I have been thinking about as I try to answer this question, is that I am sure that God longs to save us from the suffering we face. Taking a look at Jesus' life settles that one for me. Eye-witnesses record that "Jesus wept" when Lazarus died. They describe his compassion for the sick, the lonely, and the hungry. And not just his compassion for them, but his desire and ability to heal them. He doesn't strike me as the kind of cold-hearted God who delights in seeing us in pain. Rather, it seems to me that death and suffering hurt God just as much, if not more, than it hurts us. So if he wants to save us, why doesn't he? Is it because he's just an old man in the sky, too weak to really do anything about our situation?

Well, another thing I am sure of is that he has promised to save us. And so the question is not if he can do it, but rather when he will. God describes a world where, "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." One where everything will be made new. Jesus has promised to return as king and this is just a glimpse of what life will be like under his reign. So when we are asking God to step in and save us from our suffering, we need to keep in mind what it is we're asking for. We're asking for Jesus to return. We're asking for God to step in and settle all accounts for all time ~ to bring to justice those criminals who have got away with murder, to put an end to all violence, all sickness, and natural disasters... and to settle our own account with him too. God is no old man in the sky. He's more like Batman in the wings, waiting for that moment when he will return and make all things right. The question is, are we ready to meet him?