Does God Know Your Next Move?
posted 5/21/2001 12:00AM
Introduction | John Sanders 1 | Chris Hall 1 | Sanders 2 | Hall 2
Part 2:John Sanders 3 | Chris Hall 3 | Sanders 4 | Hall 4 | Sanders 5 | PostscriptDear John,Like you, I think it's quite helpful to reflect on what has shaped each of us, and how this formation no doubt influences how we do theology and the conclusions we reach. What and who has deeply formed me? My questions and struggles have surely shaped me. Probably the greatest question I've faced over the years, theologically, spiritually, and emotionally, has been the problem of evil. And lurking behind this question, especially during my early days as a Christian, was the question of God. More particularly, was God good? Could God be trusted?The divorce of my parents when I was a very young believer, for instance, caused me great anguish, especially when it appeared as though God had remained deaf to my fervent prayers that my parents' marriage be preserved. At that time, it seemed to me that my petitions had bounced back into my face, ricocheting off the walls of an inaccessible heaven.
During the same period, I worked as a driver and handyman for one of California's largest mortuaries, and I daily faced the question of evil and suffering. Was God in control of human history? Did God genuinely realize how many people were dying in Los Angeles, oftentimes alone, in despair, and in horrific circumstances? Did God care?
Lastly, during my later college years I began traveling internationally and quickly learned that the tragedies I had encountered in my family and behind the wheel of a hearse were multiplied worldwide. Indeed, the level of suffering I observed in countries such as Indonesia and India surpassed what I had experienced in the States.
I specifically recall visiting a refugee camp in Calcutta as war broke out between East and West Pakistan in the early '70s. As I witnessed children dying from starvation and disease I again wondered, Where is God in all this? Is God in control of human history? Does God know the end from the beginning? Is God sovereign over time itself? Is God's knowledge of the future perfect and complete? Is God ever caught off guard or surprised by what occurs as history unfolds? Is God good? Is God loving? Can God be trusted? Are there certain decisions, events, and accidents that God could not prevent, largely because God either did not know they were going to occur or did not desire to violate human freedom? Did God possess the power and knowledge to protect me from my own folly, sin, and error? What could I expect from the God portrayed in the Scripture?
How have I gone about finding answers? Two key sources come to mind: First, there is the Bible itself. I, like you, affirm the absolute authority of the Scripture over my life and thought. This affirmation is not a guarantee that I'll read and interpret it well or correctly, but the Scripture and its inherent authority is an indispensable starting point for theological reflection. Hence, if you can convince me that the Bible affirms and supports the openness position, I'd have to make serious adjustments in my own thinking and practice as a Christian.
Second, the church's history of exegesis or exegetical tradition deeply influences the interpretive choices I make as I read the Bible. Tom Oden has particularly helped me to see that the church's exegesis, particularly in its earliest years, must never be overlooked as we work exegetically and theologically in the modern context.
Thus, a key question: "Has the church, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or in its many Protestant communities, ever taught that God's knowledge of the future is limited, or that God is surprised or caught off guard by what occurs as time progresses?"
May 21 2001, Vol. 45, No. 7
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