Why Didn't God Save My Brother
The September 2010 edition of Christianity Today, in an article entitled “In the Shadow of Mount Hood”, Frank James, III, provost of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, discusses his feelings regarding the death of his brother, Kelly James. In the article, he asks some questions of God.
Losing a sibling is tough. I know. My brother died as a result of reckless behavior when he was 24 years old. It’s not possible to understand the sorrow one feels unless you’ve lived it.
In 2006, Kelly James died while climbing Mt. Hood in Oregon to prepare for an expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Frank James describes how he prayed for his brother’s rescue and trusted and believed that God would rescue his brother. Frank publicly declared his faith and confidence in God on CNN. Unfortunately, by the time the rescue party reached him, Kelly had already died.
Frank James asks the question, “Where was God when Kelly was freezing to death on Mount Hood?” Frank says that he is trying to make sense of Kelly’s death. He does not know why God did not rescue Kelly.
So here’s what happens. A guy wants to climb Mt. Everest. You don’t just go climb Mt. Everest. You need a permit that costs tens of thousands of dollars. After travel expenses and hiring an expedition, we’re talking $50,000 to $100,000 which is enough to support an entire Cambodian orphanage for years. So to prepare for the expensive expedition, he climbs Mount Hood in Oregon in December. And while he’s seeking his own interests he runs into problems.
Frank James questions God because God didn’t save Kelly from his folly. He doesn’t understand why God wouldn’t rescue his brother. He’s questioning. He pondering. He’s contemplating why God didn’t rescue HIS brother.
You’ve got children being aborted, killed before they take a single breath. You’ve got millions of orphans due to AIDS, war and other maladies. You’ve got Christians being persecuted in India, China, the Middle East and other parts of the world being harassed, beaten and thrown in jail. You have mass poverty in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia. You’re hearing about floods in Pakistan, earthquakes in Chile, Haiti and other places. Starving orphans. Millions of people dying without ever having heard the name “Jesus”.
But Frank James questions God about why He didn’t save his brother who was recklessly climbing a mountain for fun. The question that we should ask is: Why has God blessed us so much? Why did Jesus die for us? What does he see in us that is so valuable? And then for those of us in the United States, perhaps we should ask why he has blessed us so much with wealth and knowledge while so many others suffer in hunger, persecution, natural disasters and other maladies?
Years ago Betty Nguyen, a CNN anchor now a correspondent for CBS news, visited the place of her birth Vietnam with a camera crew. Getting off the beaten path, they went to the Mekong Delta. Many of the homes were on stilts, and because it was the rainy season, many of the homes stood over several feet of brown water. The news crew came upon one such house. It was about half the size of my bedroom. Three children lived there, the oldest no more than 15 years old. Their parents had died of an unknown illness. They had captured a bull frog which was all they had to eat that day. The news crew left them with some rice and other food after they got the footage they needed.
On September 14th 2010 as he was giving humanitarian assistance to people in need in Shan State, Burma, a member of the Free Burma Rangers was shot in the back and killed by Burma Army troops. He was the team camera man as well as one of the Good Life Club team members who focused on helping children. He was a kind and smiling man who loved to help others, endured hardship without complaint and loved children. He was a hard worker, tough, and never surrendered.
But Frank James asks a question. Where was God when Frank’s brother was freezing to death on Mount Hood? Children in Haiti, orphans in Cambodia, a man killed while helping others, but Frank James asks why God didn't save HIS rich brother while he was out enjoying himself. Even though it doesn’t deserve a response, I will provide a response to Frank James:
Go fuck yourself!
Losing a sibling is tough. I know. My brother died as a result of reckless behavior when he was 24 years old. It’s not possible to understand the sorrow one feels unless you’ve lived it.
In 2006, Kelly James died while climbing Mt. Hood in Oregon to prepare for an expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Frank James describes how he prayed for his brother’s rescue and trusted and believed that God would rescue his brother. Frank publicly declared his faith and confidence in God on CNN. Unfortunately, by the time the rescue party reached him, Kelly had already died.
Frank James asks the question, “Where was God when Kelly was freezing to death on Mount Hood?” Frank says that he is trying to make sense of Kelly’s death. He does not know why God did not rescue Kelly.
So here’s what happens. A guy wants to climb Mt. Everest. You don’t just go climb Mt. Everest. You need a permit that costs tens of thousands of dollars. After travel expenses and hiring an expedition, we’re talking $50,000 to $100,000 which is enough to support an entire Cambodian orphanage for years. So to prepare for the expensive expedition, he climbs Mount Hood in Oregon in December. And while he’s seeking his own interests he runs into problems.
Frank James questions God because God didn’t save Kelly from his folly. He doesn’t understand why God wouldn’t rescue his brother. He’s questioning. He pondering. He’s contemplating why God didn’t rescue HIS brother.
You’ve got children being aborted, killed before they take a single breath. You’ve got millions of orphans due to AIDS, war and other maladies. You’ve got Christians being persecuted in India, China, the Middle East and other parts of the world being harassed, beaten and thrown in jail. You have mass poverty in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia. You’re hearing about floods in Pakistan, earthquakes in Chile, Haiti and other places. Starving orphans. Millions of people dying without ever having heard the name “Jesus”.
But Frank James questions God about why He didn’t save his brother who was recklessly climbing a mountain for fun. The question that we should ask is: Why has God blessed us so much? Why did Jesus die for us? What does he see in us that is so valuable? And then for those of us in the United States, perhaps we should ask why he has blessed us so much with wealth and knowledge while so many others suffer in hunger, persecution, natural disasters and other maladies?
Years ago Betty Nguyen, a CNN anchor now a correspondent for CBS news, visited the place of her birth Vietnam with a camera crew. Getting off the beaten path, they went to the Mekong Delta. Many of the homes were on stilts, and because it was the rainy season, many of the homes stood over several feet of brown water. The news crew came upon one such house. It was about half the size of my bedroom. Three children lived there, the oldest no more than 15 years old. Their parents had died of an unknown illness. They had captured a bull frog which was all they had to eat that day. The news crew left them with some rice and other food after they got the footage they needed.
On September 14th 2010 as he was giving humanitarian assistance to people in need in Shan State, Burma, a member of the Free Burma Rangers was shot in the back and killed by Burma Army troops. He was the team camera man as well as one of the Good Life Club team members who focused on helping children. He was a kind and smiling man who loved to help others, endured hardship without complaint and loved children. He was a hard worker, tough, and never surrendered.
But Frank James asks a question. Where was God when Frank’s brother was freezing to death on Mount Hood? Children in Haiti, orphans in Cambodia, a man killed while helping others, but Frank James asks why God didn't save HIS rich brother while he was out enjoying himself. Even though it doesn’t deserve a response, I will provide a response to Frank James:
Go fuck yourself!
posted by Dave at Thursday, September 23, 2010
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home