S1-Day 29: God in Dirty Places: Co-Suffering, Life-Giving God (Or) Retributive God: Polarized Views on God

The Pandemic, Covid-19, has not just affected humans physically, psychologically, economically and socially, but also spiritually. The fear of the disease has shut the doors of Churches and we witness a rapid increase in “Online Services and E-propagation of the 'Word of God'". Moreover, this has become a boon for Tele-Evangelists to establish a name for them by strongly propagating their own Biblical and (so called) Prophetical Interpretations over Covid-19. Many such claim, “Covid-19 is a Judgment of God on Humanity, to punish/correct people for their sins and bring them to Repentance so that they won’t be thrown into hell”. They use Scripture (esp. 2 Chronicles 7:14) and convince Christians to believe that the God we worship is a Retributive and a Judgmental God, who showers plagues and deadly pestilence over God’s own creation because of their sin. 

Such usages of scripture aroused important questions about God in me: Is God of the Bible really retributive and judgmental? Does the Bible reflect a killer God who murders own creation (including innocents who are void of sin) because of their sinful nature or a forgiving God who loves and forgives God’s own creation just like a father and mother? When did my sins become more important to God rather than my life and my sufferings? What is the point of having grace and mercy, when sin prevents God from helping me and being with me as Immanuel in my sufferings and miseries? Is God so cruel to use Pain and Suffering (such as Covid-19) to change me rather than using love and forgiveness alone? These polarized views on God itself during Covid-19 led me back to the Bible to search for the nature of God. 

Directing Verse: Jeremiah 31:31-37 & John 10:1-21 

Jeremiah 31:31-37 speaks about New Covenant which God makes with Humanity/Creation. In the Old Testament, we see God making Covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17), Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), Moses/Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:3-6), David (2 Samuel 7:1-17) and Jeremiah/New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). All these five covenants of God express the Heart and Nature of God. God is seen as the one who loves Life – the life of all God’s creation. God never paves way for destruction and doesn’t destroy God’s own creation. In Jeremiah 31, God passionately declares God’s Love for God’s Creation, when God says: I am their God, and they are my people and my offspring and nothing can change that, not even their Iniquities or Sins (v34: for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more). This is the true nature of God. R.B.Y. Scott opines that “Covenant required a real sharing of Life”. Even today, God remembers that covenant and shares Life to creation and never destroys or disrupts God’s own creation through any plagues or deadly pestilence. 

John 10 speaks about Jesus as “The Good Shepherd”, which is one of the very inherent Nature of God and Jesus. Jesus uses a subversive metaphor of his times, to portray his true nature over his creation. Jesus says two important phrases: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (v10) and I lay down my life for the Sheep (v11). Just like God, Jesus’ nature is to provide Life to all creation. But Jesus goes a step further and says: I lay down my life for the Sheep, which means that Jesus never intends to take anyone’s life, but rather give his own life so that others can get Life, which Jesus did on the Cross. 

It is through our critical engagement with Scriptures, we understand true nature of God. When the creation is groaning for life and is at the brink of survival, we encounter the presence of God through various means striving to provide life and partake in the sufferings of humanity. In this Covid-19 scenario, we encounter the same mind of God in God’s Children also. On the one hand, we encounter Doctors, Nurses, Health Care Professionals, Sanitary Workers, Manual Scavengers and Police who try to prevent more people from being infected by this virus, while on the other hand, we encounter Individuals, Government, Churches, Mosques, NGO’s, and other Organization workers, who come together to help people who are suffering in this pandemic because of hunger. This is a clear indication of the Nature of God that exists in humanity. This is the nature that doesn’t brand people as sinners and call for repentance, but the nature that gives life, saves life and especially co-suffers when our dear brothers and sisters are suffering around because of Covid-19. This Covid-19 has showed us the true nature of God is never retributive. This image of a retributive God is either the outcome of human beings incapability to understand the true nature of God or depicts the horrid nature of human beings who use such scenarios for their personal gain and mislead people. When creation is at the threshold of survival, those who co-suffer and work for the survival of others reflect the nature of God, while those who pass judgment and call for repentance are always diabolical. How are we today? 

Prayer

O God of Love, Grace and Mercy, hear our cries as we suffer from the voices that pull our spirits down. Open our eyes, that we may see you in and through the scriptures we read. Grant us the knowledge to discern your will. Lead us not into the pit of the evil ones, but deliver us into just-seeing and just-living. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. 

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Author: Rev. Samuel Anbarasu 

About the Author: Samuel earned his Bachelor of Divinity from the United Theological College, Bangalore. He is an ordained minister of the Church of South India – Diocese of Madras. He is passionate about reading, movies, football and preaching. He is presently serving in the Gundur Pastorate.