I prayed that God would help me better understand the characters of both Him and of those He created. And this week, I came across four different sources that taught me separately about a this common
theme. I'll just type my thoughts here though they don't
culminate to some fantastic conclusion now.
1) PT talked Sunday about creation. We were created a little lower than the angels and above the animals. "Therefore," he said, "humans should not be treated like animals and humans should not act like animals." Unfortunately, both are happening and sex trafficking is a very real example: because some people choose to act like animals, others are being treated like animals.
2) I read a point well-argued by Siddharth Kara,
scholar-author of the book, Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery.
He observes a repetitive sequence through human history: desire left unchecked
leads to suffering leads to anger leads to violence leads to destruction.
Though a secular writer, he essentially explains the reality of man’s sinful
nature.
3) On Thanksgiving, my Dad randomly texted me about Mark
7:20-23, "From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual
immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” This is basically a list
of those desires of the sinful nature which lead to and have always led to
suffering.
4) I have been reading Jeremiah and am now studying the flood. I observed
the very pattern described by Kara in biblical history:
Creation/with God>desire>suffering>anger>violence>destruction/flood,
Creation/with God>desire>suffering>anger>violence>destruction/flood,
Noah/with
God>desire>suffering>anger>violence>destruction/Babel,
desire>suffering>anger>violence>destruction/Sodom,
Abraham with God while the process of d>s>a>v>d went
on throughout the rest of the world. Eventually d>s>a>v>d
brought down both Israel and Judah (as well as Babylon, Egypt and
Assyria).
Now, as always, humanity is in a d>s>a>v>d process
(human trafficking, genocides, racial & gender prejudices (esp in other
counties), worldwide socioeconomic disparity, strings of evil dictators are
evidence) and some day earth will face destruction by fire.
We were not created for any of these dreadful ways- we are a
little lower than the angels. God is long suffering, slow to anger, and
abounding in patience and love. “Again and again, He allowed years to
pass and human sin to develop until He displayed His authority and power and
judgement.” I don't think I have ever seen God the way I see Him now
before. He has always confused me, honestly, claiming to be just and
gracious and wrathful all at the same time when I felt more like He demonstrated
each of those vastly different qualities at distinctly different times. Many
think God is mean and demanding of adherence to a list of rules He made up
without apparent reason and they joke that life is a cruel test to see if we
can obey. Well, I have never thought that, but I couldn't give a clear
answer to people who ask about it- other than skipping to an explanation for
grace while leaving out the why. And when I found myself
wondering, "If God is a God of justice, why is there is so
much injustice in the world?" I just wanted an answer deeper than,
"well, in order to bring justice, He'd have to take away
freewill." I want to understand the condition of the human heart and
I want to understand the purpose of His precepts. It is not surprising
that a loving creator would desire for those He loved to live in peace
and joy rather than self-induced heartache. He lovingly gives us a
clear description of how to live and how not to live and encourages us
to be self-controlled then even empowers us with the spirit. Our God
longs for justice and justice will be brought. I haven't figured all of
this
out yet and I may not ever fully, but I think I am getting closer. 5) The video below also influenced me greatly this week.
