Does God get angry when we do something wrong? While Jesus is human, God is
ineffable. This means God is beyond our knowing. When we say that God is angry, what
we are saying is that if we were God, this is how God would feel. We get some of our
language about God’s feelings from the Psalms. Those who wrote the Psalms are doing
just that. The book of Job reminds us that when we try to figure out “why God does
things,” we are on shaky ground. God tells Job, were you there when I created the
cosmos? Job eventually becomes more that satisfied because he experienced God’s love
and care for him. When bad things happen to good people, eventually suffering can
become redemptive and we may see how certain events were destructive at the time, but
in due time, good things that we never imagined can come about.
Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” There can be many reasons to doubt God,
but Christians believe that through the cross, they experience redemption and the new
life of resurrection with the coming of the Spirit. It is through suffering that our faith is
deepened, and we become more resilient to whatever we have to face.
- Is your faith in God affected by destructive events that you have had to face?
- What does the symbol of the cross mean to you?
- In hindsight have you been able to see God’s hand in the events of your life?
O God, give me the wisdom to trust you in your care for me.