Roy’s Ramblings

According to Wikipedia: Karma, in its broadest sense, is a concept that describes the universal law of cause and effect, where our actions and intentions have consequences that shape our future experiences, both in this life and potentially in future lives. Boiled down … this equates to … good stuff happens to good people who do good things — and bad stuff happens to bad people that do bad things.

There is a problem with this kind of thinking … what about the bad stuff that happens to good people and good stuff that happens to bad people. (And the whole discussion on the fact that there really aren’t bad people … there are people that act out of societal norms because of their experiences, teaching, upbringing and environment … but that is a totally different ramblings) Anyway, back to the topic at hand. We just had a tornado come through brown county and good families lost everything – I would consider this “Bad”. So where is Karma? I was first introduced to this philosophical debate in Seminary with a Professor I had: Dr. Rev. Ty Inbody. He go his doctorate degree studying Theodicy – the theology of why bad things happen to good people. We had many lively discussions and debates and never really came up with any concrete answers.

One of his proposed questions was one of the life and death of Jesus – If Jesus was without sin (a good person) – why did he suffer the most painful, embarrassing, horrific deaths know to man at the time? Again, we arrived at no solid answers (in fact there are people that spend their entire lives studying Theodicy that have not come up with answers/reasons/solutions either).

So why do I bring this up? This past week I had a young woman come in to the office asking what she had done wrong in her life to deserve the past life she lived. I won’t give the entire story but included in it is abusive parents, abusive husband, miscarriages, failing out of school, not keeping a job, health issues, etc., etc. This poor woman has been through the proverbial wringer. Yet … she has a strong faith in God, she helps others almost to a fault, she is warm, and caring, and sweet and bright and has all the “Right Stuff”. Why then has life fallen on her so hard?

Again … I do not have answers … we are working through life issues and eventually we will come us with a plan and hopefully some success. But … Why??!!?? I wish I knew. I wish pastors were equipped with magic wands to wave and make things better. I wish there was a clergy answer book that we could just turn to page 394 and POOF there is the meaning of life and the answer to all problems. I wish …

But, it doesn’t work that way. We continue to do good, do no harm, and stay in love with God (John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules of Life) and let God do the rest.

Blessings My Friends – Pastor Roy