Sept 12, 2024
At this moment, onboard Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787, I’m watching the Islands of the Philippines grow smaller, and I’m sensing mixed feelings. The land is beautiful; the white capped waves line the seashore, forests blanket the hills, and ribbons of rivers decorate the valleys. I pass over boats at sea, tiny dots of homes below. Also within Metro Manila are thriving and beautiful spots that rival any other place in the world. However I asked myself why do people believe their life is better working all day, stopping to get food from the bodegas, and enduring traffic jams to live their lives.
In rural areas, growing food and living off the land can beautiful and fulfilling. Or it can be tragic. Rebels may come in and wreck the place, or the land has been held hostage by owners/governments that fail to be good stewards. Perils like floods, volcanic activity, invasive weeds, or drought tear down man’s efforts and causes suffering.
Jesus commented on suffering. 18 people died when a tower in Siloam fell onto them. He asked, “do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?” My takeaway? Calamity does not equal punishment. This same principle is in the book of Job. Jesus’ kingdom includes that moment when everything is restored better than ever. Currently being in a Job-like moment will end one day.
