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I guess I just wonder where the compassion is in all of this. So there is sin and it causes all of this suffering to happen to innocent people, notably children. So where is the compassion from God for these people who are suffering? Throughout the Bible and through testimony from modern-day Christians, we see God interacting with the world and the people in it, often alleviating suffering and rescuing those in need. But then there are those whose suffering is not alleviated and who do not find rescue.
What further convolutes things is the way God acts according to modern-day Christians in developed countries. We believe and credit God for helping us with these small, trivial things. Helping us find a job. Healing us from a minor illness. Comforting us when we are sad. Leading us to our future spouse. We believe God does all these things, yet for some reason He feels no need to help or rescue those who are truly in need in impoverished nations like the Philippines, where hundreds, no, thousands of children are left homeless, many of them abused, never knowing what it's like to be loved. Yet praise God, he helped me find my lost dog yesterday. Does anyone else see what's wrong with this picture?
What further convolutes things is the way God acts according to modern-day Christians in developed countries. We believe and credit God for helping us with these small, trivial things. Helping us find a job. Healing us from a minor illness. Comforting us when we are sad. Leading us to our future spouse. We believe God does all these things, yet for some reason He feels no need to help or rescue those who are truly in need in impoverished nations like the Philippines, where hundreds, no, thousands of children are left homeless, many of them abused, never knowing what it's like to be loved. Yet praise God, he helped me find my lost dog yesterday. Does anyone else see what's wrong with this picture?
The answer is us.God commands us to go but we stay.We enjoy comfort too much.We put a dollar in the plate for missions and spend thirty at the restaurant after the service on ourselves.We have two cars and three tvs and each one has a cell phone.Our dogs and cats eat better and sleep safer than half the worlds children.And what do we do with this blessing? Build bigger churches with steeples built to the sky.Then we ask "where is God" when he's saying "I blessed you,what have you done with it?" The following song makes a good point...
Shadow of the Steeple
Sunday morning sunshine,bathing the land,Sunday morning people with Bibles in their hands.
He wonders why they pass him by as they walk around him on the street.
To shade the light that replaced the night he cups his hand to see.
In the shadow of the steeple someones crying.Does anybody care? Can you hear them crying?
In the shadow of the steeple someones crying.
The preacher talks about the needs in a distant land,he says "Folks are dying over there we need to lend a hand.Its getting late lets past the plate,just do the best you can" Then the congregation rises for their final amen.
The cold blue steel he clutches fast, and he points it to the place where the shadow of the steeple is resting on his face.He feels the sting the church bells ring as he stumbles and goes down.But folks just shake their heads as they walk away from the figure on the ground.
In the shadow of our steeples souls are dying,does anybody care,can you hear them crying,souls are out there dying,we need to listen for their crying.We need to reach out to the people out there underneath our steeples dont let the shadow of your steeple find someone crying.
By Rusty Goodman