Unconditional?

We often speak of God’s love as unconditional, but does that mean God can be trusted unconditionally? In this week’s reading (John 11:1-45), Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, is reportedly ill. Jesus arrives only to be greeted by an understandably confused and hurting community of people Jesus knows and loves. It is the latter that makes their loss so injurious. “The sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’” If Jesus (the embodiment of God’s love who was sent into the world) had arrived earlier, he could have prevented him from dying.

So why did he delay?

The text provides the answer, “it is for God’s glory.”

As my kids often say when they hear something that doesn’t make sense . . . I have questions!

Even though in this strange story Lazarus will be resuscitated, what kind of God would allow people to suffer and die to bring “glory” to God’s self? What kind of messenger of God would allow suffering and death to draw a larger crowd? And what about those for whom God failed to show up? Really, can God be trusted?

In a world in which unnecessary and unmerited suffering is a perennial and ubiquitous reality, perhaps you, too, have questions.

Bring them to this week’s discussion where we will address them openly and honestly.

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