tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023138255193230828.post3680260518992632993..comments2013-12-17T09:39:41.303-08:00Comments on Whispers of Grace: Where Was God During the Haitian Earthquake?Jennifer Stairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14945793336149533884noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023138255193230828.post-67701398876978061552010-01-20T09:43:36.384-08:002010-01-20T09:43:36.384-08:00Jennifer, thank you for your powerful and comforti...Jennifer, thank you for your powerful and comforting post! I completely agree with you that God was there and is there with the people of Haiti and in all the terrible things that happen in life. We can turn to God and accept the love, turn our lives from the pain and evil, or we can reject God and suffer through, never catching a glimpse of the light, love, and hope available to us in our suffering.Connie Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06264510809220669622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023138255193230828.post-22680543244575544442010-01-16T13:33:33.150-08:002010-01-16T13:33:33.150-08:00Klatu, I can sense the pain and anger behind your ...Klatu, I can sense the pain and anger behind your words. I'm so sorry that you have been hurt by people in the name of "religion." I grieve with you over that painful experience. That is not how Jesus Christ intended His church to be. And on behalf of whoever hurt you in the name of religion, I am so deeply sorry.<br /><br />You are right: I have never been in an earthquake or holocaust, but I have buried my father, grieved the loss of our first child, and held the hand of another child through dozens of surgeries and the ever-present possibility of blindness. And in these, in ALL of these, I am convinced beyond doubt that God is with me. He has been with me through each of these experiences, and He will be with me through the rest of my life's journey--as He has promised to be with all those who love Him, no matter circumstances life brings.<br /><br />If my post communicated to you that I am presenting a "theological counterfeit" and espousing a "religion" that is separate from the "living truth of the living God," then I sincerely apologize. It is the real and living God (and his living Word) to which I cling during my darkest days and in which I find comfort for my deepest hurts.<br /><br />Years ago, my husband counseled a family whose young child died in a tragic, horrific accident. When Brett recounted the experience some years later, someone snidely remarked, "See? What good did all your theology do you then?" My husband wisely responded, "It is at times like these when all you have is your theology."<br /><br />In other words, when our world is shattering all around us, when our life is crumbling under the weight of despair and we don't even know if we can make it through another day, all we have left is our theology--what we know to be true about God. Not some kind of "theological counterfeit," but the living truth of the living God, as revealed to us in His Word.<br /><br />I don't claim to know the details of the things you espouse on your website, but this I do know:<br /><br />God is real. God is good. God is in control. God loves us. And God is there.<br /><br />Klatu, even though you may have been hurt, and even though you are understandably wary of counterfeits in theology and religion, I know this to be true as well:<br /><br />God loves you. He is real, He is good, He is true... and whether you acknowledge it or not, He is there. With you.<br /><br />God bless you, Klatu. In your quest to expose the counterfeit of "religion," may you also experience the extravagant grace and authentic love of the living God.Jennifer Stairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14945793336149533884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6023138255193230828.post-81110751606525181442010-01-16T12:52:09.774-08:002010-01-16T12:52:09.774-08:00While quoting scripture may be the refuge of those...While quoting scripture may be the refuge of those who were not in the midst of the earthquake, tsunami, or holocaust, the bottom line is that God was not there, is not there. And for a simple reason. The theological counterfeit called religion has nothing to do with God! That is the purpose for a second coming. To bring down the myths we call religion, and expose a human nature, deaf, dumb and blind to the living truth of the living God! http://www.energon.org.ukgoliahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09484401523720233875noreply@blogger.com