The Sandbag Times Issue No: 39

HAVE FAITH
Choices and Blame
Let’s start with Choices. I have to confess to being a bit of a
movie buff. I have all of the movie sites on my PC, Netflix, Now
TV, Sky Movies, you name it, I’ve got it. I have an extensive
collection of DVD’s including many comedy box collections, war
movies, action movies, musicals (Can’t believe I’ve just
confessed to that one) plus lots of old classics. Yet, when it
comes to watching a movie with my partner, it takes me an
eternity to find something we both like. I think back some years
ago when my dad bought his first VCR. He had just two or three
films and five TV stations to watch but all of us would sit around
the old box and have a good movie night. The trouble these
days is, we have far too much choice. We please ourselves and
make that decision on what we watch just by the way we feel
and what we fancy. We have that choice. The choice we make
may not be a good one but these days to rectify the mistake we
just pick up the remote, press a button and the job is done. Not
so easy in life.
natural balance of the world by intervening. He has to let us, as
individuals, make choices and stand by the consequences. That
way we learn and improve ourselves. Even wars, started by
men making choices. Not God. He cannot save us from
worldly events, illnesses, violence and conflicts. It would be
wrong for him to do that. But despite all of this it doesn’t means
that he has walked away. He is still there for us to talk to, to lean
on and to look after those that leave us. At times of pain, God is
our comfort, not our blame object. Just something worth
thinking about.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-18
Choices we make in life will have good and bad consequences,
but we have to stand by the decisions we make and learn the
lessons whether good or bad. This is because we are given the
free will to make choices. Bear this fact in mind for later in the
reflection.
But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and
the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is
love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the
same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and
the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the
unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice.
As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he
who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the
sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the
children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts
while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is
joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than
a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead
know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of
them is forgotten. ...
Now to blame. Have you ever blamed anyone for something
that has happened only to find you were wrong? I have, on
many occasions. But there is one form of blame that makes me
very uncomfortable, unfortunately, I hear it over and over again.
When someone loses a loved one or there is a violent attack or
war I hear ‘There can’t be a God if he lets this happen’ or words
to that effect. It is very easy to blame someone when we can’t
explain what has happened. Our thoughts can get very
confused and we tend to strike out at any avenue that is open.
Unfortunately, God takes his fair share of the blame.
I have realised that God has to allow nature to take its course
even when events lead to major tragedies. He cannot upset the
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