The Character of God

“So, what is God doing during this pandemic?”

It’s April, 2020 and it feels like the world has fallen apart. Over a million people have contracted the Covid-19 virus, and thousands have died. As a funeral director in Northern Colorado, picking up deceased who have succumb to the virus, families are asking me “What do you think God is doing through all of this?”

I read on a news post this morning that some celebrities think this is a genocide of sorts, chemically designed to ravage one generation from this planet. Others think this is a ploy of some countries to take out the economy of nations, as a power move for world domination. There are too many conspiracy theories out there to make sense of it all. End of the world preppers are saying “God is finally getting his revenge against a sinful world”. Some think this is punishment for the sins of humanity over an extended period of time, as if God were running out of space for tally marks on his recording paper in heaven.

What do you think?

Why is God allowing for a virus like this to decimate humanity and ravage the world with grief to this magnitude?

My take (just an opinion here), but my take is that western civilization has forgotten how to process suffering. Western culture has developed a theodicy that implies a magical genie lamp “God wouldn’t let his creatures suffer harm”.

How many times have you heard the question, “would a loving God allow his children to suffer”? Logically, wouldn’t a loving parent keep their child from harm as long as possible? If God loves us, why does He let bad things happen to good people? I’ve heard it asked a hundred different ways.

Reading through the Holy Scriptures, I have come to understand that God’s love is expressed in allowing His children to grow and develop a faith that trusts in a sovereign God. Does God take pleasure in the suffering of His children, no. Not at all. But can a loving God allow His creation to go through pain, so that their character might grow? Yes.

What is God doing?

The Lord is allowing us to keep our perspective, solely on God’s sovereignty. That’s what God is doing. God is reminding us that He is Lord and we are not. He is sovereign, He is worthy of our worship, God is forgiving, and loving, gracious to all, forgiving all our sins and healing our diseases.

Psalm 103 Of David.

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. ² Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— ³ who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, ⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. ⁶ The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,his deeds to the people of Israel: ⁸ The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. ⁹ He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; ¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his love for those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west,so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,they flourish like a flower of the field; ¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,and his righteousness with their children’s children—¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. ¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne in heaven,and his kingdom rules over all. ²⁰ Praise the Lord, you his angels,you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. ²¹ Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,you his servants who do his will. ²² Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul.