A God Who Runs

Guest column from Rev. Michael Brooks of Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster AL

William Rufus DeVane King is distinct in Alabama history. He is the only Alabamian to be vice president of the United States, and the only vice president sworn in on foreign soil. He travelled to Cuba seeking relief from his tuberculosis, where he took his oath of office and died in Dallas County shortly after returning home to assume office. 

But the drama continued with King’s running mate, Franklin Pierce, our fifteenth president. The Pierce family traveled from New Hampshire to Washington in January 1853. Their train derailed and their son, Benjamin, 11, was killed.  A disconsolate Pierce refused to place his hand on the Bible in his swearing in, and refused the verb, “swear,” believing it was a more religious commitment. Thus he “affirmed” his commitment to the U.S. Constitution.  

Honest people sometimes grow frustrated or even angry with God.

Psalm 88 is one of the 54 “laments” in the psalms. The writer outlined how he felt God had abandoned him, made him ill, refused his prayers and turned his friends against him. It’s quite a depressing word from an honest struggler. 

I think this writer did a good thing by bringing his complaints to heaven. God is big enough not to be offended by our brashness. We ought to be truthful in our prayer closets and feel confident to express our honest feelings to God. 

But I think the writer erred in two respects.

First, he believed God caused his pain. 

Leslie Weatherhead wrote “The Will of God” as a London pastor during the German bombings of World War II. He distinguished between the intentional, circumstantial and ultimate will of God. By circumstantial he insisted God allows us freedom — even freedom to make bad choices. These bad choices yield bad results. So, we can drive with the cellphone in hand, smoke cigarettes or have a steady diet of greasy cheeseburgers, but we suffer the consequences of our actions. 

So, perhaps rather than God turning the psalm writer’s friends against him, he just chose bad friends!

Second, the psalmist believed God didn’t care for him.

The writer of Hebrews declared we have a God who is “touched with the feelings of our infirmities.” This means in some way, God not only knows our pain, but feels our pain. Therefore, the writer said, “we come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,” (Hebrews 4: 15-16). 

A Victorian-era etiquette manual insisted proper men never run in public, and the dictum was later attributed to Aristotle. But Jesus taught the God of scripture is an eager and loving father who runs to meet his children when they come home.

Michael J. Brooks, pastor of Siluria Baptist Church in Alabaster, Alabama and former Judson College faculty member, writes a weekly faith column. Visit siluriabaptist.com for more information. Rev. Brooks has graciously given ALPolitics.com permission to repost his regular pastoral column here.

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