I found myself in 2017 questioning how God could allow all the evil in the world that we were experiencing; just as the prophet Habakkuk did in this passage: Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea? This year we heard about terrible events taking place in the world and in New York: hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, floods as well as terrorism and mass shootings. It seemed like every day we heard about violence and death. Other people experienced personal loss and illness.
If something bad happened to us or a loved one, we asked, why me/ why them? What have I done to deserve such troubles? Sometimes I grappled with these questions; sometimes I felt that I received more than my share. Often I tried to find the meaning behind what happened. The more I tried to make sense of what happened, the more bewildered about life I became. Where is the justice? Why do some people seem to have few difficult times in their life? Why doesn’t God allow good to triumph over evil?
Habakkuk’s passage: “You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness” gives us hope that God is in control and that God will ultimately provide justice. I like to reflect on this and find it strangely comforting.
- Psalm 51:1-12
- Habakkuk 3:2-13
- John 12:1-11
